Secondary diamond deposits typically require a bulk sampling parcel of approximately how many carats?

• A. 1,000-2,000
• B. 2,000-3,000
• C. 3,000-5,000
• D. 5,000-7,000

Answer: (C)

Bulk sampling in secondary diamond deposits is used to obtain a representative estimate of grade and recovery before committing to mining. Diamonds in alluvial deposits are often irregularly distributed and vary in size and recoverability, so a sizable parcel is needed to capture this variability and yield reliable data. In practice, explorers target a bulk sampling parcel on the order of thousands of carats to balance statistical reliability with cost. The commonly cited range of three thousand to five thousand carats provides enough material to process with the intended recovery methods and to assess grade, cut, and overall economics more accurately than smaller samples. Smaller parcels may miss important variability, while larger ones often add cost without proportional gain in decision quality.