Lucara unveils diamond recoveries from Botswana mine

Lucara Diamond Corp. has announced the recovery of a 320-carat, 111-carat, and two +50-carat stones from its 100% owned Karowe Diamond Mine located in Botswana.

These diamonds were recovered from the direct milling of EM/PK(S) kimberlite ore from the South Lobe during a recent production run that saw additional recoveries of numerous, smaller +10.8 carat diamonds of high value.

The 320-carat is a gem-quality, top light brown diamond, while the 111-carat diamond is described as a Type IIa white stone of high quality. The two +50-carat stones add to these recent recoveries and are also Type IIa white diamonds. These recoveries add to the collection of significant diamonds recovered at Karowe and further solidifies Lucara’s reputation as a leader in the recovery of large, high-quality diamonds.

The recoveries from the EM/PK(S) unit highlight the continued success of Lucara’s mining operations at the Karowe Diamond Mine and reinforce the development of the underground mine which will target >95% EM/PK(S) ore during the first three years of underground production. The company’s adoption of advanced diamond recovery technology has enabled the continued identification and retrieval of these extraordinary diamonds and strong resource performance.

William Lamb, President and CEO of Lucara Diamond Corp., commented on the recent discoveries, stating:

“These diamond recoveries from the EM/PK(S) domain of the South Lobe further validate the quality and potential of the Karowe Diamond Mine. We are thrilled with the consistent success we continue to achieve in uncovering large, high-value diamonds, reaffirming Lucara’s position as a leading producer of large high-quality gem diamonds. Our team’s dedication to innovation and operational excellence continues to drive our success, and we look forward to delivering further value to our stakeholders through these extraordinary discoveries.”

Source: DCLA

Lucara Diamond revives sales deal with gem trader HB Antwerp

Lucara Diamond has revived a gem sales agreement with polishing and trading company HB Antwerp, it said on Monday, five months after severing ties with the Belgian business.

Canadian miner Lucara said it will supply HB Antwerp with rough diamonds of 10.8 carats and above for 10 years from last December.

Lucara had terminated its relationship with HB Antwerp last September because of what it said was “a material breach of financial commitments”.

HB Antwerp declined to comment on the matter at the time and did not respond immediately to a request for comment on Monday.

Botswana, where Lucara mines diamonds at its Karowe project, has been reassessing plans to acquire 24% of HB Antwerp.

The two companies’ first diamond sales agreement was struck in 2020 and extended for 10 years in 2022.

Lucara said the purchase price for rough stones in its revised deal would be based on mutual agreement of the estimated value of polished diamonds, with a further payment based on actual achieved polished sales.

The pricing mechanism is expected to deliver regular cash flow, Lucara said.

“This partnership reflects our commitment to ensuring stability and sustainability in our operations,” said Lucara chief executive William Lamb.

Source: DCLA

Lucara Unearths 692ct. Rough at Karowe

Lucara Diamond Corp. has recovered a 692.3-carat diamond from its Karowe mine in Botswana, the second massive rough from the deposit this month.

The white, type IIa stone came from the EM/PK(S) unit in the south lobe, known for its large, high-quality rough, Lucara said Monday. The miner found the diamond via its XRT unit, which uses X-ray technology to identify huge stones in large pieces of ore before they get broken up.

The new discovery is the fourth diamond over 300 carats that Lucara has unearthed so far this year, including one earlier this month: a high-quality white, type IIa rough weighing 1,080.1 carats, which the miner announced on August 8.

In addition, “this stone is the 20th diamond larger than 100 carats recovered during 2023 at Karowe,” said Lucara CEO William Lamb. “The recovery of large diamonds from the EM/PK(S) lithology of the south lobe strongly supports our expectations for the underground project.”

Lamb, who replaced Eira Thomas as CEO earlier this month, will lead the continued development of Karowe’s underground expansion. The miner invested $683 million in the project, which it believes will extend the mine’s life until at least 2040, 15 years beyond the original 2025 closure date.

In its most recent results, Lucara announced a 21% drop in its second-quarter revenue to $41.1 million amid a slowdown in market demand. Profit slid 60% to $5 million.

Source: DCLA

Lucara Expects to Sell More Diamonds for More Money in 2023

 

Canadian miner Lucara Diamond has announced that it expects to sell between $200 million to $230 million worth of diamonds from its Karowe mine in Botswana in 2023 – an increase over its previous forecast of $185-$215 million in 2022, IDEX Online reports.

Lucara also said it expects to sell 385,000 to 415,000 carats (up from 300,000 to 340,000 carats in 2022) and expects to recover 395,000 to 425,000 carats (an increase from 300,000 to 340,000 carats).

Recently, Lucara announced that it has extended its sales agreement with HB Trading to sell +10.8-carat rough diamonds from Karowe for another ten years. Lucara and HB partnered in 2020 to sell Karowe’s large, high-value diamonds “that have historically accounted for about 60% to 70% of its annual revenues,” according to a report by Rough & Polished.

                   Rough Diamond from Lucara

Source: DCLA

Lucara’s 62-Carat Fancy Pink ‘Boitumelo’

62.7-carat fancy pink diamond “Boitumelo” in Botswana

Lucara keeps raking in the big diamond finds, this time recovering a 62.7-carat fancy pink diamond from its Karowe mine in Botswana.

It is the largest fancy pink gem to found in Botswana, according to the diamond miner, and one of the largest rough pink diamonds on record in the world.

The stone has been named “Boitumelo,” which means joys in Setswana.

Measuring 26 x 17 x 16 mm, it is described as a high-quality fancy pink Type IIa gem.

Lucara uncovered it from the direct ore milling at the EM/PK(S) unit of the South Lobe, the site of many of its biggest finds.

The company said a 22.21-carat fancy pink gem of similar quality was found during the same production period, as were two more pink gems of similar color weighing 11.17 carats and 5.05 carats.

                        

Asked if those additional small pink diamonds could’ve broken off from the same piece as the 62.7-carat diamond, a company spokesperson said: “As the diamonds all came from a similar production period it may be possible, but we cannot confirm this at this time. Further detailed analysis needs to be carried out to confirm if they did indeed originally stem from one diamond.”

Regarding the find, CEO Eira Thomas said, “Lucara is delighted to announce another historic diamond with the recovery of the Boitumelo, and very pleased to demonstrate the continued potential for large, colored diamonds from the South Lobe production.

“These remarkable pink diamonds join a collection of significant diamond recoveries in 2021 produced from the EM/PK(S), which forms a key economic driver for the proposed underground mine at Karowe.”

Source: DCLA

Lucara’s 62-Carat Fancy Pink ‘Boitumelo’

62.7-carat fancy pink diamond “Boitumelo” in Botswana

Lucara keeps raking in the big diamond finds, this time recovering a 62.7-carat fancy pink diamond from its Karowe mine in Botswana.

It is the largest fancy pink gem to found in Botswana, according to the diamond miner, and one of the largest rough pink diamonds on record in the world.

The stone has been named “Boitumelo,” which means joys in Setswana.

Measuring 26 x 17 x 16 mm, it is described as a high-quality fancy pink Type IIa gem.

Lucara uncovered it from the direct ore milling at the EM/PK(S) unit of the South Lobe, the site of many of its biggest finds.

The company said a 22.21-carat fancy pink gem of similar quality was found during the same production period, as were two more pink gems of similar color weighing 11.17 carats and 5.05 carats.

                        

Asked if those additional small pink diamonds could’ve broken off from the same piece as the 62.7-carat diamond, a company spokesperson said: “As the diamonds all came from a similar production period it may be possible, but we cannot confirm this at this time. Further detailed analysis needs to be carried out to confirm if they did indeed originally stem from one diamond.”

Regarding the find, CEO Eira Thomas said, “Lucara is delighted to announce another historic diamond with the recovery of the Boitumelo, and very pleased to demonstrate the continued potential for large, colored diamonds from the South Lobe production.

“These remarkable pink diamonds join a collection of significant diamond recoveries in 2021 produced from the EM/PK(S), which forms a key economic driver for the proposed underground mine at Karowe.”

Source: DCLA

Lucara Recovers 1,174 Carat Diamond from the Karowe Mine in Botswana

                 1,174.76 carat rough diamond

Lucara Diamond Corp. is pleased to announce the recovery of a 1,174.76 carat diamond from its 100% owned Karowe Diamond Mine located in Botswana.

The diamond, measuring 77x55x33mm, is described as a clivage gem of variable quality with significant domains of high-quality white gem material, and was recovered from direct milling of ore sourced from the EM/PK(S) unit of the South Lobe.

The 1,174 carat diamond represents the third +1,000 carat diamond recovered from the South Lobe of the AK6 kimberlite since 2015 including the 1,758 carat Sewelô and 1,109 carat Lesedi La Rona.

The 1,174.76 carat diamond was recovered in the Mega Diamond Recovery XRT circuit. On the same production day, several other diamonds of similar appearance (471 carat, 218 carat, 159 carat) were recovered at the main XRT circuit, indicating the 1,174 diamond was part of a larger diamond with an estimated weight of > 2000 carats.

The MDR is positioned after the primary crusher, ahead of the autogenous mill, and is the first opportunity for diamond recovery within the circuit.

Source: DCLA

Lucara Recovers 1,174 Carat Diamond from the Karowe Mine in Botswana

                 1,174.76 carat rough diamond

Lucara Diamond Corp. is pleased to announce the recovery of a 1,174.76 carat diamond from its 100% owned Karowe Diamond Mine located in Botswana.

The diamond, measuring 77x55x33mm, is described as a clivage gem of variable quality with significant domains of high-quality white gem material, and was recovered from direct milling of ore sourced from the EM/PK(S) unit of the South Lobe.

The 1,174 carat diamond represents the third +1,000 carat diamond recovered from the South Lobe of the AK6 kimberlite since 2015 including the 1,758 carat Sewelô and 1,109 carat Lesedi La Rona.

The 1,174.76 carat diamond was recovered in the Mega Diamond Recovery XRT circuit. On the same production day, several other diamonds of similar appearance (471 carat, 218 carat, 159 carat) were recovered at the main XRT circuit, indicating the 1,174 diamond was part of a larger diamond with an estimated weight of > 2000 carats.

The MDR is positioned after the primary crusher, ahead of the autogenous mill, and is the first opportunity for diamond recovery within the circuit.

Source: DCLA

Lucara Recovers 470 Carat Diamond from the Karowe Mine in Botswana

    470 carat diamond recovered from the                    Karowe Mine in Botswana

Lucara Diamond Corp. is pleased to announce the recovery of a 470 carat top light
brown clivage diamond from its 100% owned Karowe Diamond Mine located in Botswana.

The diamond, measuring 49x42x26mm, was recovered from direct milling of ore sourced from the EM/PK(S) unit of the
South Lobe. The 470 carat recovery forms a notable contribution to a series of top quality gem and clivage quality
diamond recoveries during a recent production run, including an additional 5 diamonds greater than 100 carats
(265ct, 183ct, 161ct, 116ct, 106ct) and 13 diamonds between 50 and 100 carats in weight.

The May production run, dominated by EM/PK(S) ore, produced diamonds greater than 10.8 carat in weight accounting for 12.7% weight percent of total production, exceeding resource expectations. Continued strong resource performance and recovery of large diamonds reinforces the significance of the EM/PK(S) as an important economic driver for the proposed underground mine at Karowe.

The 470 carat diamond was recovered in the Coarse XRT circuit and represents the third +300 carat diamond
recovered to date in 2021. Year to date, Karowe has produced 10 diamonds greater than 100 carats including 6
diamonds greater than 200 carats, including the 341 carat (link to press release) and 378 carat (link to press release)
top white diamonds recovered in January 2021.

Source: DCLA

Lucara Recovers 470 Carat Diamond from the Karowe Mine in Botswana

    470 carat diamond recovered from the                    Karowe Mine in Botswana

Lucara Diamond Corp. is pleased to announce the recovery of a 470 carat top light
brown clivage diamond from its 100% owned Karowe Diamond Mine located in Botswana.

The diamond, measuring 49x42x26mm, was recovered from direct milling of ore sourced from the EM/PK(S) unit of the
South Lobe. The 470 carat recovery forms a notable contribution to a series of top quality gem and clivage quality
diamond recoveries during a recent production run, including an additional 5 diamonds greater than 100 carats
(265ct, 183ct, 161ct, 116ct, 106ct) and 13 diamonds between 50 and 100 carats in weight.

The May production run, dominated by EM/PK(S) ore, produced diamonds greater than 10.8 carat in weight accounting for 12.7% weight percent of total production, exceeding resource expectations. Continued strong resource performance and recovery of large diamonds reinforces the significance of the EM/PK(S) as an important economic driver for the proposed underground mine at Karowe.

The 470 carat diamond was recovered in the Coarse XRT circuit and represents the third +300 carat diamond
recovered to date in 2021. Year to date, Karowe has produced 10 diamonds greater than 100 carats including 6
diamonds greater than 200 carats, including the 341 carat (link to press release) and 378 carat (link to press release)
top white diamonds recovered in January 2021.

Source: DCLA

Lucara to Sell all High-Value Diamonds through HB Group

Lucara is to sell all its larger rough diamonds through the Antwerp-based HB Group in what it describes as a “groundbreaking partnership”.

The Canadian miner has a reputation for high-value type IIa diamonds at its Karowe Mine, in Botswana, and was proud to announce its discovery of the 1,758-carat Sewelo (pictured), the world’s second largest diamond, last April.

It has been stockpiling all +10.8 carats, which account for around 70 per cent of its output, since early March.

Now it has announced a unique, new supply arrangement, with purchase prices based on estimated polished outcome, with a true up paid on actual achieved polished sales thereafter, less a fee and the cost of manufacturing. 

 Lucara says it will benefit higher prices than it currently achieves at tender, regular cash flow, and a more efficient supply chain as well as tax benefits and beneficiation opportunities for the Botswana government.

Eira Thomas, CEO said: “Building on the partnership established for the manufacturing of the Sewelô earlier this year, Lucara is pleased to have now secured a broader supply agreement with HB to purchase all of our +10.8 carat rough diamonds, through to year-end. 

“It is our strong view that the success of our industry in these very uncertain times, requires better alignment between producers, manufacturers, and retailers to establish a healthier, more efficient global diamond supply chain.

We are excited to be working with HB to support this new paradigm.”

Source: DCLA

Lucara to Sell all High-Value Diamonds through HB Group

Lucara is to sell all its larger rough diamonds through the Antwerp-based HB Group in what it describes as a “groundbreaking partnership”.

The Canadian miner has a reputation for high-value type IIa diamonds at its Karowe Mine, in Botswana, and was proud to announce its discovery of the 1,758-carat Sewelo (pictured), the world’s second largest diamond, last April.

It has been stockpiling all +10.8 carats, which account for around 70 per cent of its output, since early March.

Now it has announced a unique, new supply arrangement, with purchase prices based on estimated polished outcome, with a true up paid on actual achieved polished sales thereafter, less a fee and the cost of manufacturing. 

 Lucara says it will benefit higher prices than it currently achieves at tender, regular cash flow, and a more efficient supply chain as well as tax benefits and beneficiation opportunities for the Botswana government.

Eira Thomas, CEO said: “Building on the partnership established for the manufacturing of the Sewelô earlier this year, Lucara is pleased to have now secured a broader supply agreement with HB to purchase all of our +10.8 carat rough diamonds, through to year-end. 

“It is our strong view that the success of our industry in these very uncertain times, requires better alignment between producers, manufacturers, and retailers to establish a healthier, more efficient global diamond supply chain.

We are excited to be working with HB to support this new paradigm.”

Source: DCLA

Lucara Sells Two Huge Diamonds at $32M Tender

Lucara Diamonds have sold two exceptional large rough diamonds at the $32.5 million tender.

The tender included a 327 carat rough diamond that sold for over $10 million USD.

Lucara said the 10 stones ranging from 40.4 carats to a 472.37 carat rough stone a combined 1,453.06 carats, sold for an average price of $22,356 per carat.

The top seller was the 327.48 carat white diamond, which earned $30,900 per carat total $10.1 million.

Another exceptional size 472.37 carat light brown stone also sold but the miner has not publish its price.

Source: DCLA

Lucara Sells Two Huge Diamonds at $32M Tender

Lucara Diamonds have sold two exceptional large rough diamonds at the $32.5 million tender.

The tender included a 327 carat rough diamond that sold for over $10 million USD.

Lucara said the 10 stones ranging from 40.4 carats to a 472.37 carat rough stone a combined 1,453.06 carats, sold for an average price of $22,356 per carat.

The top seller was the 327.48 carat white diamond, which earned $30,900 per carat total $10.1 million.

Another exceptional size 472.37 carat light brown stone also sold but the miner has not publish its price.

Source: DCLA