By John Helmer in Moscow Announcement from ADC suggests there is more value in the Grib pipe than De Beers report calculates. Archangel Diamond Corporation (ADC), the Toronto-listed junior diamond miner, headed by De Beers lawyer Jonathan Dickman, has trapped itself in an awkward contradiction over the value of its Russian asset, the Grib pipe […]

by John Helmer - Sunday, May 18th, 2008
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By John Helmer in Moscow De Beers report heightens geotechnical and political challenges in Archangel diamond mining project. To adapt the old saw, a great many fresh girls are going to be obliged to make diamonds their best friends before Grib, Russia’s newest, and possibly largest, diamond pipe, can make enough profit to justify digging. […]

by John Helmer - Friday, May 16th, 2008
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By John Helmer in Moscow New Russian diamond mine is bigger and better. Blind Man’s Buff is a game which, in King Henry the Eighth’s time, was played by men at court to grope for ladies.These days it entertains children to hide from the blindfolded one, who plays “it”, and must catchwhoever he can, until […]

by John Helmer - Thursday, April 17th, 2008
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By John Helmer in Moscow LUKoil ends raid against Archangel Diamond’s Russian project, opening up new mine possibility. Grib is Russian for mushroom, and this isn’t the season for harvesting them. Grib is also the name of a diamond pipe, first discovered in northwestern Russia in 1996 — and the target of a Russian raid […]

by John Helmer - Wednesday, April 16th, 2008
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By John Helmer in Moscow Underground mine costs are pushing Alrosa towards diamond prospects in southwestern Africa Back in the good old friendly days,one thing was always understood by the senior executives and mine engineers of De Beers and Alrosa, the world’s diamond mining leaders. Alrosa faced serious risks and incalculable costs in trying to […]

by John Helmer - Saturday, April 5th, 2008
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By John Helmer in Moscow A mysterious and protracted investigation by the Toronto Stock Exchange and Ontario market regulators of De Beers-owned Archangel Diamond Corporation (ADC) is being kept secret on the apparent legal advice of Robert Shirriff. A Canadian Queen’s Counsel since 1972, and partner in the law firm of Fasken Martineau DuMoulin, Shirriff […]

by John Helmer - Monday, February 11th, 2008
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By John Helmer in Moscow De Beers, NM Rothschild hold secret talks which could result in the release of Russian diamond asset How long must the clock tick before disclosure delayed turns into news concealed, and insider trading? Speculators on the share value of Toronto-listed Archangel Diamond Corporation (ADC) — ticker AAD — thought they […]

by John Helmer - Monday, November 19th, 2007
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By John Helmer in Moscow Russian diamond cutters face shutdown of operations or domestic supplies if VAT tax waiver is abolished on January 1. Alrosa, Russia’s dominant supplier of rough, has sent a notice to domestic diamond cutters, warning that from January 1, it will add 18% value-added tax (VAT) to its rough diamond pricing. […]

by John Helmer - Tuesday, November 13th, 2007
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By John Helmer in Moscow Israelis claim Russian identity to announce Angolan diamond mine venture. That Russian mining companies have deep pockets and Kremlin clout is a handle that has been tried on South African gold bugs and the Canadian venture investor market with modest and shortlived effect. But it is unheard-of for a group […]

by John Helmer - Thursday, November 8th, 2007
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By John Helmer in Moscow At the Antwerp diamond conference Alrosa and De Beers switch positions on value of diamond beneficiation. Diamond-miners are wolves; diamond-cutters are sheep. At least that’s the way it has usually appeared to the governments of countries fortunate enough to supervise lucrative mineable diamond deposits. Expressed in terms of the diamond […]

by John Helmer - Thursday, October 25th, 2007
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