Operations

After the Company sorts and values its rough diamonds at its own facilities, it sells them directly to manufacturers for cutting and polishing through its sales offices in the world’s major diamond centres, in Antwerp, Belgium, and Mumbai, India.

The Company maximizes the value of the run-of-mine rough diamonds it receives from the Diavik and Ekati Mines through sorting techniques that accurately assess each stone’s quality – and therefore its value – among thousands of seemingly near-identical stones. Accurate assessment of a stone’s characteristics is the first step in maximizing its value.

Sorting for Value

Each diamond is unique, an individual mineral specimen. Once cleaned and sorted by carat weight, each stone is individually inspected and assessed by the Company’s diamond sorting staff using traditional hand-held and head-mounted loupes together with modern technology where appropriate. Individual stones are assessed on the basis of shape, clarity and color using standardized methodologies and reference to benchmark samples for consistency over time.

Customer-Focused Selling Strategy

Dominion Diamond Mine’s diamond market experts sell rough diamonds directly to manufacturers (who cut and polish diamonds), tailoring parcels to the customer’s needs. This minimizes the variation of stones in each parcel and generates a premium for the Company over prices charged by suppliers offering more variable parcels.