Rockwell Diamonds is reporting both increased diamond production and diamond prices for the third quarter of 2010.

In its Q3 report, released this weekend, the company noted that revenue was up 44% compared to the previous quarter and totaled $16.4 million, with the average per-carat diamond price in the three-month period ending November 30, 2010 increasing to $1,566 compared to $1,048 in the previous quarter.

Rockwell produced 22,519 carats of rough diamonds in the nine-month period ending November 30, compared to 19,920 in the corresponding nine-month period the previous year.

The three-month period ending November 30, 2010 produced 8,404 carats at the company's Holpan, Klipdam, and Saxendrift diamond mines. A total of 6,414 carats were sold at an average per-carat price of $1,566, and diamond tender sales reached $10 million.

The third quarter of 2010 also yielded eight large diamonds ranging in size from 50 carats to 84 carats, bringing the total number of diamonds exceeding 50 carats recovered this year to 19. The polished diamonds were sold into Rockwell's joint venture with the Steinmetz Diamond Group.

Figures for the nine-month period ending November 30, 2010 were as follows: 20,564 carats of diamond sold at an average price per carats of $1,345, with tenders sales of $27.6 million.