Glass, it is good to see you are asking questions. You, like a lot of people, don't understand the process very well. It is unfortunate that given your history of bashing, it seems like you use the question to create doubts.

The initial core samples were analyzed using caustic methods. This would remove any coating, so it would be not be possible to go back now to see if there is any coating.

The bulk sample at deBeers used a process of crushing, and then separation based on size, magnetic and density properties. Firstly, any small liberated diamonds would have been lost in the screening process. Also is is possible for the crushed hematite (powder) to coat any exposed diamond. The SRC process used x-ray and grease table methods, which the coating may have interfered with. Caustic was not used. It will be used now though to audit the results.

The caustic results will still not be a complete analysis of the diamond content, as any loose diamonds smaller than 1.4 mm would have been screened out in the first process. It may still contain small diamonds though, since they may not have been liberated from the kimberlite in the first crush.

So far, we do not know if we have a valid bulk test result. Any conclusions about the future direction of SNO cannot be made until the test is either proven valid, or the new valid results of the entire 100 plus the 400 tonnes is known.

IMHO

Ted