Sakha Republic in the Russian Far East is near the borders of Alaska and the North Pole. While located in the frozen tundra and populated by the Yakutian people and reindeer, the area has a long-established historical reputation as a location for mining rare minerals, gold, and diamonds. Indeed, the word “yakut” in Arabic means “ruby” and it is suspected to have come from the trade in gems that may have included this area.

According to recent report, a massive 191-carat diamond was found in Sakha, which some are saying is a sign that further geological treasures are waiting right beneath the region’s surface:

A recent discovery by Russian mining company Alrosa is being hailed as the largest extracted diamond in recent years.

The transparent gemstone, which carries dimensions of 40 x 31 x 20 mm (1.6 x 1.2 x 0.8 in.) and a weight of 191.46 carats, was mined at the Udachnaya kimberlite pipe in Russia’s Sakha Republic (Yakutia).

“Such large gem-quality discoveries, weighing more than 100 carats, confirm that there are many unique precious minerals in the reserves of the Udachnaya kimberlite pipe,” said Evgeny Agureev, director of sales with Alrosa. “Since the beginning of the development in 1967, the pipe has given hundreds of large diamonds to our company. In the near future, this rare specimen will go to the United Selling Organization for the detailed study and evaluation.” (source, source)

Now it is true that there are many other mines with larger finds, such as those in Africa that yield consistently large returns. However, Africa is known as a major mining area for this, which Sakha is not. Africa, as developed as it is, still has much in the way of future development to be realized. In the case of Sakha, most of its wealth is still frozen under the tundra, and the only thing to tread on her soils are those of human and animal footprints walking between her remote towns and villages.