Alrosa Rough Diamond Auction Raises +$35 Million

Alrosa, Russia's Yakutia-based diamond monopoly, last week sold more than $35 million in rough diamonds at the 14th international diamond auction for special-sized diamonds hosted by the Russian Diamond Chamber in Moscow.

The chamber said that 143 of the 150 parcels offered were sold. The 150 parcels contained 1,203 diamonds weighing more than 20,000 carats. The biggest diamond offered weighed 172.44 carats. The auction offered diamonds from 10.8 carats and up.

Representatives of 38 companies, including those from India, Israel, Belgium, Belarus, China, Japan, Russia and the U.S. bid at the auction.

The next auction will start on May 22 and its results will be announced on June 30.

Alrosa mines 23 percent of the world's diamonds.