Three record-breaking discoveries shook the diamond world between August and September 2024, from two different African mines.
The first record-setting find comes from one of the world’s most renowned mining companies, Lucara Diamond: a massive 2,492-carat diamond from its Karowe mine in Botswana.
William Lamb, Lucara’s President and CEO, enthusiastically commented on the diamond’s extraction: «We are ecstatic about the recovery of this extraordinary 2,492 carat diamond. This find not only showcases the remarkable potential of our Karowe Mine, but also upholds our strategic investment in cutting-edge XRT technology. The ability to recover such a massive, high-quality stone intact demonstrates the effectiveness of our approach to diamond recovery and our commitment to maximizing value for our shareholders and stakeholders».
Lucara uses advanced diamond recovery technologies, and since 2015, has employed X-ray tomography (XRT), which has been instrumental in discovering large stones without damaging them. In addition to this, the company has committed to sustainable mining practices, including minimizing environmental impact and investing in local communities.
Since the Karowe mine opened in 2012, a combined open-pit and underground mining plan has been developed. The mining plan involves extracting three adjacent kimberlite pipes. The southern pipe is the largest of the three, with resources extending to about 950 meters below the surface, utilizing both open-pit and underground extraction methods. In the central pipe, extraction occurs through open-pit methods, while the northern pipe was deemed uneconomical.
To date, the Karowe mine, in addition to this latest discovery, boasts three other major finds: the Lesedi La Rona, a 1,109-carat rough diamond found in 2015; the Constellation, weighing 813 carats and also discovered in 2015; and the Sewelo, another remarkable 1,758-carat diamond unearthed in 2019.
A 1,094-carat rough diamond, the second of the year to exceed 1,000 carats, was also recovered from the same mine on September 15, 2024. The diamond will be polished by HB Antwerp.
As for the third major diamond discovery of recent weeks, we move to the Kono District in Sierra Leone, where Trustco Group Holdings announced that Meya Mining has unearthed a 391.45-carat diamond. This Type IIa stone, recovered on August 20, was originally part of a 514.99-carat diamond, which broke into three pieces during extraction.
Jan Joubert, CEO of Meya Mining, commented: «Only four mines in the world infrequently recover these exceptional >500 carat diamonds. The fact that Meya has recovered two >500 carat Type IIa diamonds after treating only 84,195 tonnes of competent kimberlite from the Meya River domain, suggests that there is a high probability of recovering more and possibly bigger diamonds once the mine reaches steady state production of 500,000 tonnes kimberlite throughput per annum. Our priority now is to ensure that going forward we can recover these high value stones intact».
The Meya mine is a relatively recent project compared to other historic mines in Sierra Leone. Operations began around 2016, when Meya Mining secured the concession. Since then, four sizable diamonds have been discovered in alluvial material, along with a 476-carat diamond, the Meya Prosperity, which was found within the kimberlite pipes in 2017.
Unlike Botswana’s diamonds, those extracted from this deposit come from both primary deposits — where diamonds are found within the kimberlite rock (the volcanic rock that fills the pipes) — and secondary deposits, which form from the erosion of primary deposits where rock fragments are transported by rivers and can accumulate (the so-called “placer” deposits).
These extraordinary finds mark a significant moment for the diamond industry, showcasing both advanced technological capabilities and the potential of the deposits in Botswana and Sierra Leone. The record-breaking diamond recovered by Lucara Diamond demonstrates the company’s success in integrating cutting-edge technologies with sustainable mining practices, while Meya Mining’s discovery highlights the promising prospects of the mine in the Kono District.
