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A 1,111 carat gem-quality diamond, second in size only to the Cullinan diamond cut into the British Crown jewels, has been unearthed by Lucara Diamond Corp. in Botswana.
Lucara Diamond Corp. is a high-quality diamond producer with mines located in Southern Africa and offices in Vancouver, B.C.
The stone was recovered from Lucara’s Karowe Mine, located in north central Botswana, one of the world’s most prolific diamond-producing areas.
“This historic diamond recovery puts Lucara and the Karow mine among a select number of truly exceptional diamond producers,” said William Lamb, president and CEO of Lucara.
“The significance of the recovery of a gem-quality stone larger than 1,000 carats, the largest for more than a century and the continued recovery of high quality stones from the south lobe, cannot be overstated.”
The diamond measures 65 x 56 x 40 millimetres in size and is the largest ever to be recovered in Botswana, according to a press release issued by the company.
It was retrieved via a newly installed Large Diamond Recovery XRT machine at Lucara’s Karowe mine.
“Our focus on mining the south lobe, which is delivering value beyond expectation, has been perfectly timed with the commissioning of our recent plant modifications, enabling the recovery of these large, high quality exceptional diamonds.”
The largest ever gem-quality diamond is the 3,106-carat Cullinan diamond, found in South Africa in 1905. That diamond was cut into several stones, the two largest of which are a part of Britain’s crown jewels.
Lucara Diamond Corp. (LUC-TSX) closed Wednesday up 1.90 per cent at $1.61, following a 9.55 per cent drop over the last five days.
Agencies/Canadajournal
