Mining News: Northern Neighbors: Q1-4 yields large yellow diamonds

North Arrow Minerals Inc. Feb. 26 reported that initial results from processing of a bulk sample from the Qilalugaq Project show that yellow diamonds persist into large diamond sizes. The roughly 1,500-metric-ton sample was collected last summer from the Q1-4 kimberlite, situated nine kilometers from the Hamlet of Repulse Bay (Naujaat), Nunavut. Initial recovery data from about 46 percent of the sample have been compiled and include 5,366 diamonds greater than +1 DTC, or about one millimeter, weighing 189.97 carats from 609.0 dry metric tons of kimberlite. The recovered diamonds include 17 diamonds larger than about 0.6 carats and eight diamonds larger than one carat. The largest three diamonds recovered to date are 4.42 carats (greenish yellow cubic aggregate), 4.16 carats (intense yellow cubic aggregate), and 3.53 carats (pale yellow cubic aggregate). North Arrow reports that yellow diamonds, representing a range of hues and tones, comprise about 8.5 percent by stone count and 21.4 percent by carat weight of the +1 DTC diamonds recovered to date. North Arrow is currently working to earn an 80 percent interest in the Qilalugaq project from Stornoway by collecting and processing the current bulk sample. Stornoway has a one-time, back-in right.

- Shane Lasley