Diamond producer Rockwell Diamonds released its 2009 third quarter performance report Sunday, noting a drop in revenues, Mining Weekly reported.

According to the diamond miner's statement, in the quarter ending in November 2009, it noted a profit of C$513 945, while it produced 7 963,28 carat at its Holpan/Klipdam and Saxendrift mines in South Africa.

Further figures quoted by Mining Weekly said that Rockwell Diamonds reported a C$6,1-million loss during the same time period; and a production boost amounting to 19 920,44 carat, compared with a 16 558,09 carat production for the parallel time in 2008.

The diamond producer attributed the nine-month loss to the decrease in diamond prices: “Though prices remained weak during this period, there has been an overall improvement in prices of about 49% from the initial sharp fall in the last quarter of fiscal 2009,” a company statement said.

Rockwell Diamonds' release added that the miner's priority was now to maintain flexibility and resourcefulness to overcome the challenges of the global financial crisis, which resulted in a slump in diamond prices worldwide.