Image credit: Lucapa Diamond
The recovery, it said, had been favourably impacting both rough and polished diamond prices.
"Following a tough 2020 where the diamond market all but stopped, the sector continues to rebound strongly from the pandemic with a better industry balance which has seen diamond pricing return to pre-pandemic levels," said company managing director, Stephen Wetherall.
"We look forward to 2021 with great optimism following a strong final quarter from our two mines
and particularly as the sector continues its positive momentum."
Meanwhile, Lucapa said in its fourth-quarter results that total sales year to date of diamonds mined at its 40%-owned Lulo mine, in Angola amounted to 20,397 carats for $28.0m or $1,371 per carat.
This, it said, was a new record for total Lulo carats sold in a year.
In Lesotho total sales year to date, from two sales for Mothae diamonds held early 2020, amounted to 10,268 carats for $4.1 million or $402 per carat.
Lucapa said it produced 6,447 carats during the quarter, 55% up on the prior year comparative period. The quarterly increase came despite the impacts of the pandemic on operations during the year and Lulo delivered a new annual production record of 23,669 carats in 2020.
Mothae's quarterly production eased 33% to 6,603 carats from the previous year's 9,845 carats.
Mining operations were suspended for six months from March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The expansion of our Mothae mine will enhance returns expected to flow to Lucapa this year from both our operations and the kimberlite bulk sampling program at Lulo continues to demonstrate its prospectivity," said Wetherall.
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished
