Historic Diamond Fields & Mines in Russia

Yakutia (Sakha Republic) — Mir, Udachnaya & Zarnitsa

Russia’s modern diamond industry began in Siberia in the 1950s. The first kimberlite pipe, Zarnitsa, was identified in 1954 by Larisa Popugayeva and Natalya Sarsadskikh; within a year, the giant Mir and Udachnaya pipes were discovered, establishing the Mirny and Udachny districts in the Daldyn–Alakit field. Later additions include Aykhal/Yubileynaya (Jubilee) and the Ebelyakh alluvial area (noted for occasional pinks). Mir transitioned underground after open-pit mining but has remained in “wet conservation” since a 2017 flood, with redevelopment studied. Sources: ALROSA Mir status (alrosa.ru); Zarnitsa discovery history (SCFH; Wikipedia); Udachnaya overview (Wikipedia); Mir background (Wired).

Arkhangelsk Oblast — Lomonosov & Grib

In European Russia, Arkhangelsk hosts major non-Yakutian primary deposits. The Lomonosov mine (PJSC Severalmaz, ALROSA group) exploits the Arkhangelskaya and Karpinsky pipes, while the Grib pipe (AGD Diamonds) began production in 2013. These kimberlite operations established Arkhangelsk as a significant contributor alongside Yakutia. Sources: Severalmaz company page (severalmaz.ru); Grib mine profile (Wikipedia).

Urals — Early Alluvial Finds (1829)

Long before Siberian kimberlites, Russia’s first documented diamonds were recovered from Urals placers in 1829 (Krestovozdvizhensky/Koiva River area). These occurrences were small and sporadic compared with the later kimberlite fields of Yakutia and Arkhangelsk. Sources: Fersman Mineralogical Museum note (PDF) (fmm.ru); review of Ural diamonds (PDF) (core.ac.uk).

Russia’s Largest Uncut Diamonds

“26th Congress of the CPSU”

Rough: 342.57 ct, yellow; Mine: Mir, Yakutia; Discovery: Dec. 23, 1980; Status: Uncut in the Kremlin Diamond Fund. Sources: Gokhran Diamond Fund overview (gokhran.ru); Wikipedia entry (Wikipedia).

“Alexander Pushkin”

Rough: 320.65 ct, colorless; Mine: Udachnaya, Yakutia; Discovery: 1989; Status: Diamond Fund (uncut). Sources: Wikipedia entry (Wikipedia); background on Udachny district (Rapaport).

“The Creator” (Творец)

Rough: 298.48 ct (colored); Origin: Lower Lena placer, Yakutia; Discovery: 2004; Status: Diamond Fund (uncut). Sources: Wikipedia entry (Wikipedia); Diamond Fund context (gokhran.ru).

Russia’s Most Famous Large Cut Diamonds

Orlov (in the Imperial Sceptre)

Cut weight: 189.62 ct (rose/Mughal-style, Type IIa). Origin: Golconda, India (historic). Status: Mounted in Catherine the Great’s Imperial Sceptre; on display in Moscow’s Diamond Fund. Notes: Often linked (debated) to the long-lost “Great Mogul” diamond. Sources: GIA profile; Wikipedia “Orlov (diamond)”. gia.edu · wikipedia

Shah Diamond (inscribed)

Cut weight: 88.7 ct (lasque/portrait-style). Origin: Golconda, India (c. 15th–16th c.). Status: Diamond Fund, Kremlin. Notes: Bears three Persian inscriptions of former owners (1591, 1641, 1826). Sources: Wikipedia “Shah Diamond”; Antique Jewelry University. wikipedia · langantiques.com

“The Spectacle” (ALROSA)

Cut weight: 100.94 ct, D-color, IF, Type IIa (emerald cut). Rough: 207.29 ct, Zarnitsa pipe (Yakutia), recovered 2016. Notes: Described as the largest polished diamond ever cut in Russia; sold at Christie’s Geneva on May 12, 2021 for ~CHF 12.84M (~$14.1M). Sources: Christie’s press; Reuters sale preview; Bloomberg/National Jeweler sale report; IGI background. press.christies.com · reuters.com · bloomberg.com · igi.org

“Dynasty” (main stone, ALROSA)

Cut weight: 51.38 ct, D, VVS1 (round brilliant). Cut from: 179 ct “Romanovs” rough (Nyurbinskaya, 2015). Notes: Flagship of a five-stone collection cut in Russia; sold in 2018. Sources: Reuters/Forbes on the ALROSA Dynasty collection. reuters.com · forbes.com

Cut weight: 14.83 ct, Fancy Vivid Purple-Pink, IF, Type IIa (largest of its kind at auction). Rough: 27.85 ct “Nijinsky,” Ebelyakh alluvial field (Yakutia, 2017). Notes: Sold at Sotheby’s Geneva on Nov. 11, 2020 for ~$26.6M. Sources: Sotheby’s lot page; Reuters/JCK coverage. sothebys.com · reuters.com · jckonline.com

Polar Star (associated with Russia’s Yusupov family)

Cut weight: 41.28 ct, colorless (Type IIa), cushion brilliant. Origin: Golconda, India. Status: Historic Yusupov family diamond; sold by Cartier in 1928, later auctioned in Geneva (1980). Notes: Closely tied to Russian nobility, but not in the Diamond Fund today. Source: Wikipedia “Polar Star Diamond”. wikipedia

Summary

Russia’s diamond history pivots on Siberia’s kimberlite fields—Mir, Udachnaya, and later Aykhal/Jubilee—augmented by Arkhangelsk’s Lomonosov and Grib deposits. While the early Urals placers marked the first finds in 1829, long-term production is overwhelmingly from primary kimberlite mines. Landmark stones—from the 342.57 ct “26th Congress” and the 320.65 ct “Alexander Pushkin” in the Kremlin’s Diamond Fund to modern highlights like the 14.83 ct Spirit of the Rose and the “Matryoshka” diamond-within-a-diamond—underscore Russia’s role in both size and rarity. Primary references: ALROSA mine pages; GIA research; Gokhran Diamond Fund; Sotheby’s/Reuters sale coverage; encyclopedic summaries cited above.

Datasets: U.S. Geological Survey, Major Mineral Deposits of the World, Open-File Report 2005-1294. Data portal