Gem Diamonds Doubles its +100 carats Haul

Gem Diamonds has now recovered twice as many +100 cts diamond this year than during the whole of 2023.

The UK-based company today announced a 129.71 carat Type II white diamond from its Letseng mine, in Lesotho.

It’s the 10th +100 cts diamond of 2024. Historically the mine averages eight per year, but last year it recovered only five.

The spike in high-value recoveries has helped push up revenue at Gem. Earlier this month it reported a 9 per cent increase in its first half earnings to $77.9m.

Letseng 70 per cent owned by Gem and 30 per cent by the Lesotho government is the highest dollar per carat kimberlite diamond mine in the world.

Pic courtesy Gem Diamonds, shows the 129.71 ct stone.

Source: DCLA

Storm Mountain Diamonds finds giant pink rock in Lesotho

Storm Mountain Diamonds (SMD), jointly owned by Namakwa Diamonds Limited and the Government of Lesotho, has recovered a 108.39-carat fancy pink diamond at its Kao Mine in the Southern African country.

The diamond is one of the largest pink roughs ever found in Africa, which include the “Lulo Rose”, 170-carat precious stone recovered by Australia’s Lucapa Diamond in Angola last year.

SMD said the diamond was recovered from a 1.5 tonne sample of kimberlite ore that was processed at the mine’s plant.

It is a Type IIa stone, which means it has very few impurities and a high level of clarity, the company said.

The Kao Mine is one of the largest diamond mines in Lesotho and produces about 400,000 carats of diamonds annually.

Coloured diamonds, especially pink ones, have repeatedly set record-setting prices in recent years as they are rarer than white ones. While they come in many hues, pink and blue are the most coveted.

Source: mining.com