Perth: Rio Tinto reported an 11% year-on-year increase in quarterly diamond production at its Diavik mine, following the project’s official closure in March after 23 years of operation.
According to data released by the British-Australian mining giant, production at the mine, located in Canada’s Northwest Territories, totaled 1.041 million carats in the first quarter of 2026. While the figures represent an increase year-over-year, they also show a 6% decrease from the fourth quarter of 2025, reflecting the winding down of operations and the gradual optimization of production processes.
Operations at the Diavik mine officially closed on March 26. Over its 23-year history, it produced over 150 million carats, more than any other diamond mine in the Northwest Territories. With the closure of Diavik, Rio Tinto ceased diamond mining entirely. Prior to this, production at the Argyle mine in Australia, known for its colored diamonds, shut down in November 2020.
Overall, in the first quarter, Rio Tinto reported a 9% year-on-year increase in copper equivalent production.
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