Mexivada discovers two large diamonds at Malambani, Republic of Congo

Mexivada Mining Corp. reports the discovery of two large diamonds and probable kimberlite indicator minerals from a previously unexplored location on its 100% controlled Malambani Permis de Recherche concession, located near Mayoko, Republic of Congo.

According to government records, mining of alluvial gold (+33,000 ounces) by the Avoine Company at Mayoko after World War II included their mining of a 22 millimetre, sharp-faced white gem octahedral diamond thought to weigh approximately 75 carats and a 7 millimetre blue-yellow colored diamond, during the gold dredging operations. They never found the source of these diamonds.

Mexivada has been conducting systematic reconnaissance exploration mapping and sampling for gold and diamonds along the 8 by +23 kilometre long Mayoko Greenstone Belt at Malambani from its Mayoko field office. Heavy mineral pan-concentrate sampling in alluvium this past week led to the discovery of two diamonds in two pits (PDM17 and PDM19), located 100 metres apart from each other in a new area near Mayoko, within the boundaries of Mexivada’s Malambani concession.

The first diamond is a white, modified octahedron 7.5 millimetres in diameter, and the second stone recovered was a shiny 6 millimetre greenish-white colored dodecahedral diamond. The stones weigh approximately 0.1 gram each. The diamond indicator mineral chromite, as well as purplish pink garnets (possibly pyropes), were also found at these two sampling sites in the pan concentrates. Mexivada has applied for the necessary permits to send these minerals to the Gemological Institute of America (”GIA”) laboratory in Carlsbad, California for examination, study, and verification by diamond expert John Koivula. Mexivada will continue its sampling-mapping program at Mayoko, in search of kimberlitic pipes that could host the diamonds and indicator mineral(s).

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