22 Aug 2024

The recent discovery of the historic colossal 2,492 carat diamond by Lucara from the Karowe Diamond Mine solidifies Botswana’s position as a leading diamond producer by value.

In appreciating the biggest diamond ever mined in Botswana, His Excellency President Dr Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi indicated that the discovery symbolised Botswana’s continued ascent as a global leader in diamond production.

The discovery of the biggest gem stone in the history of Botswana’s mining, President Masisi said, spoke volumes of the country’s diamond industry and represented not only the unparalleled wealth found in Botswana, but also showed the importance of diamonds to Botswana.

“This is indeed history in the making; this diamond discovery translates in more infrastructure development, more schools, new roads, availability of healthcare services as well as many more developments to uplift the livelihoods of Botswana,” President Masisi said.

Despite the diamond market being at its lowest, President Masisi said it was important for Lucara to be decisive on the sale of the diamond to maximise on its value.

Similarly, Lucara Botswana managing director, Ms Naseem Lahri said the discovery was detected and recovered by the company’s Mega Diamond Recovery (MDR) X-ray Transmission (XRT) technology, which was installed in 2017 to identify and preserve large, high-value diamonds.

“The stone was recovered from the processing of EM/PK(S) kimberlite, the dominant ore type that Lucara will continue to target during the first years of the company’s underground mining operations,” she said.

She said the discovery underscored Karowe’s reputation as a world-class asset and reaffirms Lucara’s position as a leading producer of large, exceptional diamonds.

“This latest recovery joins an impressive roster of other significant finds from the mine, including the 1,758 carat Sewelô and the 1,109 carat Lesedi La Rona,” she said.

Ms Lahri further said the discovery also showcased the remarkable potential of Karowe mine and also upheld the company’s strategic investment in cutting-edge XRT technology. ENDS