Stellar Diamonds has appointed of CAE Mining of South Africa as independent technical consultant for the preparation of the maiden resource estimates at its Droujba and Tongo kimberlite projects in Guinea and Sierra Leone, respectively, the company announced this week.

Karl Smithson, CEO of Stellar Diamonds, said that CAE would verify and model the company's own work to date to guide future drilling and diamond sampling programs.

Smithson said that CAE's work would result in resource statements for the Droujba and Tongo projects, and noted that the current drilling and sampling programs at the projects was "progressing well."

In June, Stellar Diamonds reported that the Droujba kimberlite, adjacent to its Bomboko diamond project, extended below 388 meters. Droujba samples have already yielded close to 1,000 rough diamonds.