Alrosa Recovers 2.74-Carat Blue Diamond at Yakutia's Nakyn Field

Alrosa has mined Russia's first natural gem-quality blue diamond, a 2.74-carat stone recovered at the Nakyn kimberlite field in Yakutia, the company said. Interfax reported the find on November 6, 2026. The company is cutting and polishing the diamond and plans to unveil it at the end of November 2026.

Inside Alrosa's Nakyn Blue Diamond Find

The stone is a Type IIb diamond, one of the rarest and most valuable, colored blue by trace impurities of boron within the crystalline lattice structure. It is internally flawless, which the company said makes it particularly valuable to jewelers. The Nakyn field hosts the Nyurba and Botuobinskaya diamond pipes and is operated by the Mirny-Nyurba Mining and Processing Plant in Yakutia.

Alrosa said the find is the first discovery of such a diamond at a Russian deposit on record. "This is the first time such a unique blue crystal has been found in Russia. This is a milestone for Alrosa and the whole diamond industry," CEO Pavel Marinychev said. He added that "a find like this might never be repeated" and that the company's responsibility is to preserve its natural beauty and transform it into a cut and polished stone. Marinychev said the work is being carried out by Russian masters.

The company said the find confirms the presence of extremely rare Type IIb diamonds containing boron at deposits in the Nakyn kimberlite field, opening up new possibilities to study the geological processes of diamond formation in the Earth's interior.

Alrosa's Scale in Global Diamond Mining

According to akta.pro company records, Alrosa produced 33.1 million carats in 2024, holding a 31% global market share as the largest diamond producer by volume. The same records put Alrosa at about 30% of global diamond production and approximately 90% of Russian diamond production. Alrosa is Russia's state-controlled diamond mining group, founded in 1992 and headquartered in Mirny, and it mines, sorts, cuts and sells rough and polished diamonds to global jewelry manufacturers, primarily in India.

Alrosa's Losses and Cost Cuts Before the Find

In August 2026, Alrosa reported a first-half net loss of 9.5 billion rubles, or USD 115 million, for the six months ended June 30, its first loss in six years, IDEX Online reported. Unsold rough inventories swelled to 150.8 billion rubles, or USD 1.83 billion, and revenue fell 36% to 74.16 billion rubles. Also in August 2026, CEO Pavel Marinychev said Alrosa had cut operating costs by 25% to 65 billion rubles amid the diamond industry crisis, Interfax reported. In September 2026, Alrosa transferred its largest gem-quality diamond, a 468.3-carat amber stone discovered in Yakutia in 1945, to Russia's state repository Gokhran, TASS reported.

What Happens to the Blue Diamond Next

Alrosa plans to unveil the cut and polished blue diamond at the end of November 2026, the company said.