Lucara Diamond co-founder, former chairperson Lundin dies

Lucara Diamond’s founder and former chairperson Lukas H. Lundin passed away in Geneva, Switzerland on Tuesday at the age of 64 following a two-year battle with brain cancer. 
The diamond company said Lundin founded Lucara along with partners Eira Thomas and Catherine McLeod-Seltzer in 2007 and served as a director and chairperson of the board until May 2022.
“Lukas will be remembered as a visionary, a man of true conviction who was never afraid to swim against the tide once the value of an opportunity became apparent,” said McLeod-Seltzer and Thomas in a joint statement.
“His critical, financial sponsorship of the acquisition and development of the successful Karowe diamond mine in Botswana, which has operated continuously since 2012 and generated over $2 billion in revenues to date, is a testament to this vision.”
Lucara acquired the AK06 kimberlite in Botswana and advanced the project through feasibility and construction, commencing open pit production at the Karowe diamond mine in 2012. 
The Karowe mine is the only diamond mine in recorded history to have ever recovered three diamonds above 1,000 carats each.

Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished