Image credit: Lucara Diamond
Lucara Diamond has recovered an unbroken 998-carat high white clivage diamond from its wholly-owned Karowe diamond mine, in Botswana.
It said the diamond, measuring 67x49x45mm, was recovered from direct milling of ore sourced from the EM/PK(S) unit of the South Lobe.
The 998-carat diamond was recovered in the Mega Diamond Recovery XRT circuit that allows for diamond recovery post-primary crushing and before milling.
Karowe has so far this year produced 31 diamonds greater than 100 carats including 10 diamonds greater than 200 carats comprising of the 549-carat Sethunya, and the 998-carat diamond.
"Lucara is extremely pleased with the continued recovery of large-high-quality diamonds from the South Lobe of the Karowe mine,” said Lucara chief executive Eira Thomas.
“To recover two +500 carat diamonds in 10 months along with the many other high-quality diamonds across all the size ranges is a testament to the unique aspect of the resource at Karowe and the mine's ability to recover these large and rare diamonds.”
She said operations at Karowe had continued through 2020 and operational challenges due to Covid-19 restrictions were met with ‘professionalism’ by the team.
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished
