JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Southern Africa-focused diamond producer Lucara Diamond Corp has recovered a 239.2 ct diamond, as well as a 124 ct and a 71.1 ct stone, at its Karowe mine, in Botswana.
“The recovery of these large stones is hugely significant to both Lucara and Botswana. To the best of my knowledge, the 239 ct stone is one of the largest diamonds ever to have been recovered from the highly prolific Orapa kimberlite field in over 40 years of production.
“The recovery of a diamond of this size, the confirmed population of blue diamonds, and the strong operational performance in our first few quarters of operation, demonstrate the quality of the assets, as well as the competence of the operations team,” Lucara president and CEO William Lamb said.
The TSX-listed company said the diamonds would be sent to Antwerp to be studied prior to being sold later this year.