Sierra Leone's Diamond Production Falls in April

(IDEX Online News) – Diamond production in Sierra Leone declined by 33$ to 28,110 carats in April compared to March, according to a Bloomberg report quoting the country’s central bank's monthly economic review.

Most of Sierra Leone's diamond production is at the Koidu mine, the rest is mainly small-scale alluvial mining.

Of the total April production, more than half (15,030 carats) are gem quality, the rest, 13,080 carats, are industrial-grade diamonds, the Bank of Sierra Leone said in Freetown on Wednesday.

Gold output declined 18% to 440 ounces. Production of rutile declined to 5,030 metric tons in April while ilmenite output slumped 10% to 910 tons. Rutile and ilmenite are titanium-bearing minerals.