Global Diamond Industry Shows Signs of Recovery: What Is Driving the Rebound?

 

After three challenging years marked by geopolitical disruption, shifting trade routes, and weakened consumer confidence, the global diamond industry is beginning to stabilise and recover. While price volatility persists in certain segments, demand is gradually rebuilding, particularly across the world’s primary luxury markets. Industry professionals broadly agree that the recovery remains uneven, but the direction is clear: a slow yet meaningful turnaround is underway.

Senior figures within the international jewellery trade point to improving economic sentiment as a key catalyst behind renewed interest in diamonds. Changing consumer behaviour is also playing a central role. Natural diamonds continue to dominate global engagement ring sales, retaining their status as the benchmark for long-term value and emotional significance. However, competition from lab-grown diamonds is intensifying, and the market share gap is narrowing.

In major Western markets, lab-grown diamonds are gaining traction, particularly among younger buyers who place greater emphasis on size, clarity, and price accessibility than on tradition. This generational shift is reshaping purchasing decisions and influencing how value is assessed at the point of sale.

Pricing dynamics underscore this transformation. Over the past year, prices for smaller natural diamondsespecially those under one carat have experienced notable declines. At the same time, lab-grown diamond prices have fallen even further, driven by rapid technological advancements and expanding production capacity. Together, these opposing movements have redefined the competitive landscape, prompting consumers to compare value propositions more closely than ever before.

While challenges remain, the combination of stabilising demand, evolving consumer preferences, and market-driven price realignment suggests the diamond industry has entered the early stages of recovery, with long-term implications for both natural and lab-grown sectors.

Source: DCLA

Karelian clears key hurdle for EU’s first diamond mine

Karelian Diamond Resources has registered its Lahtojoki mining concession in the Finnish land registry, advancing its plan to develop what could become the European Union’s first diamond mine.

This registration, handled by the Finnish mining authority TUKES, allows the company to proceed with further development plans for the Lahtojoki diamond deposit.

TUKES had previously approved the concession and is also responsible for issuing the mining certificate.

Karelian noted that a hearing on compensation matters related to the project has been postponed until the Fall of 2025, potentially impacting the timeline for full-scale operations.

Lahtojoki is known for its high-quality gem diamonds, including rare pink and coloured stones that can fetch up to 20 times more than typical colourless gems. The company believes the diamondiferous kimberlite pipe has the potential to support a profitable, low strip ratio open-pit operation.

The Dublin-based company is simultaneously exploring and advancing other assets in Finland, containing nickel, copper and platinum group elements. It is also advancing exploration at a site in the Kuhmo region where it aims to discover the source of a rare green diamond it found in 2022.

Source: Mining.com

Petra Diamonds rethinks sales tactics as market slump drags on

Africa-focused Petra Diamonds has scrapped regular diamond tenders in favour of opportunistic sales as the market for rough stones continues to slump.

The miner reported $53 million in sales from its fifth and sixth tenders of the year, covering production from its two South African mines. Petra will now report sales on a quarterly basis instead of following a fixed tender schedule.

“In response to fluctuations in diamond prices and demand, the company no longer follows regular tender cycles and may postpone portions of tenders or sell goods as run-of-mine,” the company said.

The strategic pivot mirrors De Beers’ reported off-market sales of discounted diamonds to selected clients. The move aimed to reduce inventory without officially slashing prices.

Petra said it sold 613,747 carats in the two tenders, a 29% increase from its fourth tender in February. The average price was $86 per carat, about 4% higher than February’s auction. On a like-for-like basis, prices were down 16% compared to the first six tenders of 2024, largely due to lower-value goods.

Year-to-date, the company has sold 2.39 million carats for $239 million, down from $329 million over the six first tenders of its 2024 financial year.

Petra delayed its April and May tenders due to a weaker product mix at its flagship Cullinan mine. The Finsch mine, meanwhile, saw improved pricing thanks to better ore access. The company expects an improved product mix as it ramps up production from the CC1E and the western side of the C-Cut block.

Petra also drew an additional $33 million in debt, bringing its consolidated net debt to $258 million by the end of March. It attributed this to working capital requirements.

“The continuing challenges in the diamond market and the weaker sales do not bode well given the ongoing negotiations to refinance Petra’s debt obligations,” Raj Ray, an analyst at BMO Capital Markets, wrote on Monday.

Petra has been restructuring to cut costs, including the sale of its stake in Koffiefontein in October and the recent $16 million sale of the Williamson mine in Tanzania.

Petra shares fell almost 3.5% on the news to 19.5 pence each, putting its market cap at about £38 million ($51 million).

Source: DCLA

Burgundy Sales “Bode Well for Recovering Diamond Market”

Burgundy Diamond Mines reported an increase in prices but a dip in revenue from its Ekati mine, in Canada, during Q4.

Sales held in October and December raised $47m and $46m respectively (total $93m) the Australia-based company said today (17 December) in its interim sales report and company update. Average prices per carat were $80 and $106 (all figures US dollars).

Total proceeds for the previous quarter, Q3, were $118m, with average prices down to $83 per carat in what it described at the time as a “soft diamond market”.

Kim Truter, Burgundy’s CEO, said the results “bode well for a recovering diamond market”.

He said prices at the December sale reflected a higher quality parcel of goods sold, and said there had been gains in the mid to large size categories, relative to the October sale.

Burgundy bought the Ekati mine, 125 miles south of the Arctic Circle, in Northwest Territories, last June for $136m from the Arctic Canadian Diamond Company and plans to extend its life by developing underground operations.

“The company looks forward to reporting the results of its mine life extension work at the Sable underground project and the Misery underground operation, in addition to an updated Fox underground prefeasibility study, commencing in Q1-2025,” Burgundy said.

Source: DCLA

Indian Digger’s Diamond Fetches $111,000

A 19.22 carat diamond, recovered from a shallow mine by a part-time digger in India’s Panna district, sold at auction for $111,000 (Rs 93,79,360).

It was one of 29 diamonds sold by the Panna Diamond Office, as part of a deal in which farmers and laborers rent small patches of land from the government. The other 28 stones raised just over $28,000 between them.

Many of the stones recovered have failed to find buyers at the three-monthly auctions over the last two years, but demand picked up at this latest event, with large crowds of bidders in attendance.

Panna is said to be home to 1.2m carats. Part-time miners pay $2.70 for the rights to dig a 25ft square patch there and diamond finds are quite common.

In February 2022 a part-time prospector dug up a 26.11-carat diamond which later sold for at auction for $193,000.

Source: DCLA

KP Votes to End Ban on CAR Diamonds

The Kimberley Process voted to allow rough diamond exports from the Central African Republic (CAR) after imposing a ban in 2013 as a civil war raged.

The Seleka, a coalition of predominantly Muslim rebel groups, toppled the government in a conflict, reportedly funded by conflict diamonds, that saw widespread killings, rapes, and destruction of villages.

The country – one of the world’s poorest – still faces significant challenges in establishing lasting peace and stability, although the government and its Russian mercenary allies have since pushed rebel groups out of major towns.

The KP, at its plenary in the UAE last Friday (15 November), voted to re-admit CAR as a full member, in light of what it described as “an improving security situation”.

Diamond exports have, until now, been outlawed from the so-called red zones – representing two thirds of his country’s diamond mining areas. They will now be allowed. 

Legal exports, from CAR’s green zones, totaled just under $8m in 2020, the latest year for which KP has figures – 50,433 carats for an average $142 per carat.

Rufin Benam-Beltoungou, CAR’s minister of mines and geology spoke of his “joy and satisfaction” over the full lifting of the rough export ban.

UAE’s Kimberley Process chair, Ahmed Bin Sulayem, travelled to CAR and had pushed extensively for the KP to initiate a review mission to fast-track the country’s reintegration.

Source: DCLA

PS: Plain to see that the Kimberley Process is a political tool and not a safegaurd for the diamond industry.

India’s Polished Exports Fall Again in August

Diamond polisher in a factory

India’s exports of polished diamonds fell by 23.8 per cent year-on-year in August, according to the latest figures from the GJEPC (Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council). 

Total foreign sales were $1.04bn, compared to $1.36bn last August. Exports in July were $908m, down 22.7 per cent.

Polished diamond exports have fallen every month this year, down 20 per cent in January, 28 per cent in February, 27 per cent in March, 17 per cent in April, 15 per cent in May and 26 per cent in June. All figures are for US dollars.

Gross exports of all gems and jewelry fell by 18.8 per cent during August – a slower rate of decline than diamonds – to $2.01bn.

Rough imports for the April to August period were down 22.6 per cent to $4.98bn.

Source: DCLA

Farmer Unearths 32.8 ct Diamond in Field

An Indian farmer weeding his field unearthed a 32.80 carat gem quality diamond, one of the biggest finds of recent years.

The rough gem could fetch $120,000 to $180,000 in a forthcoming auction by the Panna Diamond Office, in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.

Many thousands of residents rent small patches of land in the diamond rich district, in the hope of a big find.

In February 2022 another part time prospector dug up a 26.11 carat diamond which later sold for $193,000.

And in February 2021 laborer Rampyare Vishwakarma unearthed a 14.09 ct diamond.

In this case Swamidin Pal had spent five months a year, for the last five years, digging for diamonds.

He said proceeds from the sale would be life changing, and would allow him to buy agricultural land for his sons.

Source: DCLA

Another Month of Decline for India’s Diamond Exports

A diamond in a polishing factory

India’s exports of polished diamonds suffered a further drop in May, down by almost 15 per cent to $1.47bn.

But the year-on-year rate of decline shows some signs of slowing, according to new figures from the GJEPC (Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council).

It fell 20 per cent in January, 28 per cent in February, 27 per cent in March and 17 per cent in April.

Diamonds are faring significantly less well than India’s overall gems and jewelry sector, which saw revenue for April slip by 6 per cent to $2.48bn.

Manufacturers bought more diamonds year-on-year in April and May (up almost 2 per cent by volume) but the price slump means imports are down almost 10 per cent by value are down by almost 10 per cent to $2.39bn.

Source: DCLA

US Jewelers Warn Congress over Sanctions

US Capitol building at sunset, Washington DC, USA.

US jewelers have warned Congress of the harm that new sanctions on Russian diamonds will cause for the entire retail sector.

The trade association Jewelers of America (JA) met with with a dozen Democratic and Republican lawmakers in both the House and Senate to voice concerns over the 1 September restrictions that will require all goods of 0.50-scts and above to enter G7 countries via Antwerp for verification.

They say a single import channel will “cause maximum damage to the global diamond and jewelry supply chain, while having minimal effect on Russia’s diamond revenues”.

JA is urging all its members to lobby Congress and explain that the way the restrictions are being implemented will hurt jewelry businesses.

“JA has been working tirelessly behind the scenes and this visit to Washington, D.C. was a critical step to ensure we minimize unnecessary disruptions to the U.S. diamond industry,” said JA president & CEO David J. Bonaparte.

He and fellow JA representatives also called for a “grandfathering” clause to cover goods imported before 1 March (when the 1.0-cts and above restriction was imposed) and for clearer guidance on whether the current size limit applied only to individual, loose diamonds or to the total weight of all diamonds in finished jewelry.

Source: DCLA

US Sanctions Zimbabwe President for Diamond Smuggling

The US has sanctioned Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa for corruption in connection with gold and diamond smuggling, as well as human-rights abuses.

The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) accused Mnangagwa of “providing a protective shield” to gold- and diamond-smuggling networks that operate in Zimbabwe, it said last week. He is also accused of directing Zimbabwean officials to “facilitate the sale of gold and diamonds in illicit markets” and taking “bribes in exchange for his services.”

The US has also restricted Mnangagwa for being a leader or official of entity, including any government entity, that has “engaged in, or whose members have engaged in, serious human-rights abuses,” OFAC explained.

“The Zimbabwe president is a foreign person who is a current or former government official, or a person acting for or on behalf of such an official, who is responsible for or complicit in, or has directly or indirectly engaged in, corruption, including the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery,” OFAC stated.

OFAC issued the new sanctions after US President Joe Biden signed an executive order that terminated Zimbabwe’s national emergency and revoked sanctions on the entire country, so as not to target its citizens.

“The US remains deeply concerned about democratic backsliding, human-rights abuses, and government corruption in Zimbabwe,” said Wally Adeyemo, deputy secretary of the treasury. “The changes we are making today are intended to make clear what has always been true: Our sanctions are not intended to target the people of Zimbabwe. Today we are refocusing our sanctions on clear and specific targets.”

Source: DCLA

Botswana Assigns $65M for Stake in Belgian Manufacturer

Botswana has designated BWP 890 million ($65 million) from its new fiscal 2024-2025 budget for the purchase of a 24% stake in Belgian manufacturer HB Antwerp.

The deal, which it first announced in March, calls for the African country to supply rough from state-owned Okavango Diamond Company (ODC) to HB Botswana for five years. The partnership would operate in a similar fashion to HB’s previous supply deal with Lucara Diamond Corp, enabling Botswana to retain a share of the polished profits.

Lucara terminated its rough-supply agreement with HB in September, citing a “material breach of financial commitments” by the Belgian manufacturer as the reason for the split. That decision came on the heels of HB’s departure from cofounder and managing partner Oded Mansori, whom it has since reinstated to his original role.

There was media speculation late last year that the Botswana government was pressuring Lucara to reconnect with HB, and that the split could affect Botswana’s interest in the manufacturer. Lucara owns the Karowe mine in Botswana. The miner has since announced that it planned to form new supply deals with other vendors.

Source: DCLA

Strong Demand Sends Ekati Rough Sales Surging

Revenue from the Ekati deposit’s rough production soared during the fourth quarter as demand for its goods strengthened, according to owner Burgundy Diamond Mines.

Sales from the Canadian mine rose 37% year on year to $166 million for the three months that ended December 31, Burgundy reported last week. Sales volume jumped 41% to 1.8 million carats, from 1.3 million carats a year before, outweighing a 2% drop in the average price to $93 per carat.

Output increased 19% to 1.2 million carats for the October-to-December period. During the quarter, Burgundy held four auctions, including one for special stones. The miner sold all of its available inventory during those auctions, it noted.

“Each of our four auctions during the December quarter were oversubscribed due to significant customer demand,” said Burgundy CEO Kim Truter. “This has put us in a strong position with a healthy cash balance to fund the upcoming winter-road resupply and to commence the important work activities to extend the mine life at Ekati.”

Burgundy is currently retrieving ore from two sites at Ekati: an open-pit operation at Sable and an underground one at Misery. It is also working on extending Sable underground and is optimizing the Point Lake area.

Burgundy purchased Ekati from Arctic Canadian Diamond Company for $136 million in March.

Source: DCLA

French visitor finds 7.46-carat diamond

A visitor from France who was in the United States to see a rocket launch in Florida found a 7.46-carat diamond at Crater of Diamonds State Park on Jan. 11, according to a news release from the park.

Julien Navas, of Paris, who was making his first visit to Crater of Diamonds on Jan. 11, found the diamond on the surface of the park’s 37.5-acre search area. It is the largest diamond registered at the park since 2020 and the eighth-largest in the park’s history.

Navas was visiting the U.S. to see the United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan Centaur Rocket launch in Cape Canaveral, Fla., the release said. After the launch, Navas traveled with a friend to see the sights in New Orleans. Along the way, he learned about Crater of Diamonds State Park, which “piqued his interest as he had previously panned for gold and searched for Ammonite fossils. So he knew he had to visit the park while he was in the U.S.”

A few days before his visit, the park had received over an inch of rain, making it a wet and muddy day. After purchasing his ticket and renting a basic diamond hunting kit from the park, “Navas headed into the search area and got to work.”

“I got to the park around nine o’clock and started to dig,” Navas said in the release. “That is backbreaking work so by the afternoon I was mainly looking on top of the ground for anything that stood out.”

According to Assistant Park Superintendent Waymon Cox, many of the park’s largest diamonds are found on the surface. “We periodically plow the search area to loosen the diamond-bearing soil and promote natural erosion,” he said in the release. “As rain falls on the field, it washes away the dirt and uncovers heavy rocks, minerals, and diamonds near the surface.”

After searching for several hours, Navas carried his finds to the park’s Diamond Discovery Center, where he learned that he had discovered a brown diamond weighing 7.46 carats. When he learned that he had found a diamond, the release said, Navas was stunned and said, “I am so happy! All I can think about is telling my fiancée what I found.”

The diamond has a deep chocolate brown color and is rounded like a marble. It is about the size of a candy gumdrop.

“It is always so exciting to see first-time visitors find diamonds, especially large diamonds like this one,” Park Interpreter Sarah Reap said in the release.

Navas called Crater of Diamonds State Park “a magical place, where the dream of finding a diamond can come true! It was a real great adventure.”

Navas said he plans to return to the park with his daughter when she is older.

“Many visitors choose to name the diamonds they find at Crater of Diamonds State Park. Navas decided to name his find the Carine Diamond, after his fiancee. He said he hopes to have the stone cut into two diamonds, one for his fiancee and one for his daughter,” the release said.

The Carine Diamond is the largest diamond registered at the park since 2020, when Kevin Kinard found the 9.07-carat Kinard Friendship Diamond over Labor Day weekend. It is the eighth-largest diamond registered since the Crater of Diamonds became a state park in 1972, according to the release.

Eleven diamonds have been registered at Crater of Diamonds State Park in 2024 so far. An average of one to two diamonds are found by park visitors each day.

“In total, over 75,000 diamonds have been unearthed at Crater of Diamonds State Park since the first diamonds were discovered by John Huddleston, a farmer who owned the land long before it became an Arkansas State Park in 1972. The largest diamond ever discovered in the United States was unearthed in 1924 during an early mining operation on the land that later became the state park,” the release said.

   Julien Navas, of Paris, France, found a 7.46-carat diamond on the surface of Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro on his first visit to the park’s 37.5-acre search area. (Photo courtesy of Arkansas State Parks)

Source: DCLA

Gem Diamonds and Lucara find first big stones of 2024

Africa-focused miners Gem Diamonds and Lucara Diamond have recovered big, high-quality Type IIa diamonds at their respective operations.

Gem Diamonds said on Thursday it had unearthed a 295-carat rough stone at its Letšeng mine in Lesotho, adding to a long list of diamonds over 100 carats found at the operation over the past two years.

The prolific mine is one of the world’s ten largest diamond operations by revenue. At 3,100 metres (10,000 feet) above sea level, Letšeng is also one of the world’s most elevated diamond mines.

Canada’s Lucara recovered a 166-carat rough in the Coarse X-Ray Transmission unit at its Karowe diamond mine in Botswana. The company said the precious stone was sourced from direct milling of ore from the South lobe of the mine.

The 166-carat rough diamond recovered at Karowe. (Image courtesy of Lucara Diamond.)

Lucara’s latest find is the 328th diamond over 100 carats found at Karowe since it began operations in 2012. Chief executive William Lamb said  the recovery further supported the economic rationale for investing in the underground expansion project to extend the mine’s life to at least 2040.

The recoveries bring some positive news into a market affected by ongoing weak conditions, with prices for wholesale polished diamonds dropping 20% last year, which also dragged down rough diamond prices. 

Source: DCLA

Rio Tinto sells stake in Canadian diamond project, ups interest in copper

Rio Tinto is reshuffling its interests in two Canadian projects as the global miner seeks to focus on assets considered key for the world’s transition to a green economy, such as copper and lithium.

The company has decided to sell its 75% interest in the Fort à la Corne diamond project in central Saskatchewan to joint venture partner Star Diamond Corp. in exchange for shares in the junior.

As a result, Rio Tinto Exploration Canada will own a 19.9% stake in the exploration and development company.

Rio Tinto’s head of exploration Dave Andrews said the company was now “firmly focused” on identifying opportunities in metals and minerals that support the energy transition.

“We are grateful to Rio Tinto for the significant monetary investment and expertise it has contributed to the project over the past more than five years, which has meaningfully advanced what Star Diamond believes is one of the most promising diamond projects in the world,” president and CEO Ewan Mason said in a statement.

Rio Tinto’s move follows years of tension between the partners over the terms of their development agreement. The situation saw both companies face off in court and, at one point Star Diamond considered cutting RTEC out of the project.

The partners reached an agreement on the subject in December 2021, after which RTEC put the project on hold until it could determine whether it wanted to continue or exit the venture. The camp was demobilized, and the project put on care and maintenance in the first quarter of 2023.

Copper and lithium
Rio Tinto has also moved to increase its stake in Canada’s Western Copper and Gold Corporation (TSX: WRN), which is advancing the Casino project in the Yukon Territory.

Under the deal, RTEC is acquiring 3,468,208 common shares at a price of C$1.73 per share, or about C$6 million ($4.4m) total. This increases Rio Tinto’s ownership to 9.7% of Western’s outstanding common shares.

Vancouver-based Western Copper and Gold, which remains the sole owner of the Casino project, said it would use the proceeds of this fresh investment to fund specific areas of study with the aim of progressing through permitting to a development phase of the proposed mine.

“We are pleased that Rio Tinto has elected to continue to invest and work with Western to advance the Casino project, with a focus on furthering infrastructure development and streamlining the regulatory process,” CEO Paul West-Sells said in the statement.

Rio Tinto chief executive officer Jakob Stausholm recently said in an interview that the company continued to look for ways to increase exposure to key minerals and metals, particularly copper and lithium.

Source: DCLA

Rapaport calls for help and support for US Diamond Protocol as World Diamond Council (WDC) and De Beers lobbyists push for sanctions plan that will destroy small US jewelers and dealers.

Visit rapaport.com/sanctions for facts and support. Martin Rapaport will fast for three days next week — Tues.-Thurs., Nov. 7-9 — to protest WDC’s support for Kimberley Process that certifies Russian diamonds. Trade is urged to fast for one day, Tuesday, Nov. 7, as WDC and KP meet in Zimbabwe. Prices of rounds stabilizing; 1 ct. RAPI +0.3% this week but -2.2% for Oct. Fancies still falling. Surat factories to close for three weeks over Nov. 12 Diwali holiday. NY DDC to hold Israel trade week Nov. 27-30.

Visit: rapaport.com

Letšeng Yields 117ct. Rough for Gem Diamonds

Gem Diamonds has recovered a 117.47-carat rough from its Letšeng mine in Lesotho, its fourth over 100 carats so far this year.

The miner discovered the gem-quality, type IIa diamond on October 29, it said Tuesday. The find follows that of a 101.96-carat high-quality rough on September 28, and a 163.91-carat yellow diamond on June 22. The company also unearthed a 122-carat stone on March 5.

Letšeng has been known for producing high-quality rough diamonds topping the 100-carat mark, but recently that supply has been dwindling. However, the newest recovery brings this year’s total to a tie with last year, when the miner also retrieved four diamonds in that category. That compares with six in 2021 and 16 in 2020.

The declining number of special-size stones has put a dent in the company’s revenue, with sales falling 28% year on year to $71.8 million in the first six months of 2023. The miner incurred a loss of $1 million, versus a profit of $3.8 million during the same period in 2022.

Source: DCLA

Stornoway Halts Operations at Renard Diamond Mine

Stornoway Diamonds has suspended operations at its Renard mine in Canada amid the prolonged slowdown in demand for rough.

“The growing uncertainty of the diamond price in the short and medium term, coupled with the significant and sudden drop in the price of the resource on the world market, has had a major impact on the company’s long-term financial situation,” Stornoway said Friday. “This was in part due to the halt in the import of rough diamonds to India, and [in part to] the global geopolitical climate.”

The company will put Renard on care and maintenance to “preserve the assets and facilitate a rapid return to normal operations,” it explained. It will keep 75 of its 500 workers on staff to perform necessary tasks.

Stornoway will also seek creditor protection under the Canadian Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA), which allows financially troubled corporations owing more than $5 million to restructure their businesses and avoid bankruptcy. As part of this effort, the miner is “implementing a process for soliciting investment and sale proposals,” it added.

The Indian diamond-manufacturing sector announced in September that it was implementing a two-month moratorium on rough imports, from October 15 to December 15, to help reduce some of the oversupply that has built up in the midstream due to weak industry demand.

This is not the first time Stornoway has sought creditor protection under CCAA. In 2019, one of its creditors, Osisko Gold Royalties, acquired and revived the company during a restructuring process. Under the new ownership, the miner restarted operations in 2020 following a six-month halt due to Covid-19.

Source: DCLA

Gem Diamonds Recovers 102ct. Rough from Letšeng

 

Gem Diamonds has unearthed a 101.96-carat rough from its Letšeng mine in Lesotho, its second stone over 100 carats so far this year.

The miner discovered the gem-quality, type IIa diamond on September 28, it said Wednesday. The find follows that of a 122-carat stone on March 5.

While Letšeng had previously been known for producing high-quality rough diamonds topping the 100-carat mark, that supply has been declining. Last year, the miner retrieved only four diamonds of that magnitude, versus six in 2021 and 16 in 2020.

The lack of special-size stones has hurt the company’s revenue, with sales falling 28% year on year to $71.8 million in the first six months of 2023. The miner incurred a loss of $1 million, compared to a profit of $3.8 million during the same period in 2022.

Source: DCLA