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74

I N FOCUS :

SAF EGUARD I NG THE

I NDUSTRY THROUGH

TECHNOLOGY

Technology plays a vital role across the entire diamond pipeline,

helping both to secure future supply and to maintain the

diamond dream.

SECURING SUPPLY IN A SAFE AND

SUSTAINABLE MANNER

Throughout the pipeline, technology is critical to

ensuring the supply of diamonds: in exploration,

mining and sorting for diamonds efficiently, and also

making sure that these activities are safe and minimise

environmental impact.

EXPLORATION

Geologists rely on technological innovation to help

them discover new viable sources of diamonds

in locations that are often remote, previously

underexplored and difficult to work in, such as

near the Arctic Circle. In many such remote areas,

traditional approaches to exploration are limited,

and geologists therefore need to use new techniques

to select targets

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One new exploration technique, in particular, has

been made possible by the recent development of

SQUID (Super Conducting Quantum Interference

Device). SQUID is a very sensitive magnetometer used

to measure extremely subtle magnetic fields. This

technology provides significant benefits over current

exploration methods such as airborne magnetic

and ground exploration systems, and has provided

geologists with an important new tool

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