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How do you spot a good diamond?

Apart from the technical aspects of choosing stones I think you should trust your instinct. If a stone "talks" to you and you like the way it reflects the light and the shape of the stone then it is for you.

Will consolidation in the sector pick up/continue?

I think it is inevitable and necessary that we see consolidation in the diamond mining sector and it's very positive that it happens. Diamonds are exciting and have a mystique about them and I think the equity market wants to invest in them for that reason. We just need to see a bit of critical mass and momentum for things to get moving again. The fundamentals are all moving in the right direction for it to happen.

What advice would you give to women considering a career in mining?

Of course I would suggest they just go for it. Don't think about your gender, just do your job. But of course you have to understand that the sector has been, and is, male dominated, and that gives it unique characteristics.

What's the strangest work thing that's happened to you?

I was in the bush in Tanzania in a 4x4 on an off-road drive to look at a gemstone deposit. A Masai warrior suddenly appeared from nowhere and flagged us down for a ride. He was on his way to see his sister who lived about a day's walk away! When we told him we were heading in the opposite direction from him, he changed his mind about visiting her and decided he would ride with us and instead visit his brother who lived two days' walk beyond our final destination.

What's been the most amusing moment in your career?

I was told by a mine captain on my first visit to a deep underground gold mine in South Africa, who clearly had a dim view of a "non-mining looking" female going underground in his mine, that if I fainted he was not going to carry me out but that I would have to wait until I regained consciousness and walk myself out.

Name one challenge of being on Aim?

Making sure we coordinate simultaneous news releases with the Australian Stock Exchange, where Dwyka has a dual listing.