Kimberley Diamond - Pit 5 Sampling - 2nd Pass Complete

Business Wire, Sept 17, 1996

VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 17, 1996--KIMBERLEY DIAMOND CO.(AUSTRALIAN STOCK EXCHANGE: KDC KDC.O VSE: KDC KDC.WT ) has completed rechecking of Sortex concentrates from the Pit 5 sample in the Blina area.

Two additional diamonds weighing a total of 0.95 carats were recovered during the recheck. Fourteen diamonds have now been recovered from Pit 5 weighing a total of 6.3 carats. A total of 250 tonnes of gravel were processed from Pit 5 and the diamonds recovered from the 0.8 to 10 millimetre size fraction.

The largest of the latest diamonds recovered from Pit 5 weighed 0.81 carats. It is white in colour and is a cleavage fragment broken from a larger stone. The smaller stone weighs 0.14 carats, has a deep pinkish orange colour and is dodecahedral in shape.

Recent mapping in the vicinity of Pit 5 indicates that the gravel in this area is related to an ancient river terrace. This terrace has been identified in scattered surface exposures over a distance of about 6 kilometres. KDC will be taking two additional bulk samples from gravels within the terrace that includes Pit 5 over the next two weeks.

Processing of samples from the 8 other Pits excavated during the current program in continuing. Results will be released as they come to hand.

CONTACT: Kimberley Diamond Company NL

Miles Kennedy, 1-9/21-5887 (Australia)

61-9-321-5884 (Fax)

or

Martyn Element & Associates

Robert Matthews, 604/687-6820

604/687-6328 (Fax)