BlueRock sells fifth diamond for more than $52,000

AIM-listed diamond mining group BlueRock Diamonds has sold a 7.63 carat diamond for $52,000, or $6,815 per carat.

The company, which owns the Kareevlei diamond mine in the Kimberley region of South Africa, said this is the fifth diamond sold this year, taking the total for the year to more than $500,000.

Executive chairman Mike Houston said: "The continued and improving regularity of discovery of high-quality stones underpins the potential value of the project and the effectiveness of our recent improvements in operational practises.

"I look forward to updating our shareholders on further developments at Kareevlei as we continue to implement operational initiatives to optimise the performance of the mine."

At 1250 BST, the shares were up 10.7% at 61.44p.