Lucapa Diamond has recovered 20 diamonds weighing 15.51 carats from the initial processing of the Lulo kimberlite L164 bulk sample by the stand-alone kimberlite bulk sample facility in Angola.
The diamond recovered represented a preliminary grade of about 2.5 carats per one hundred cubic metres.
It said five diamonds weighing more than 1 carat have been recovered so far from about 3.5 hectares of kimberlite, the largest stone weighing 1.95 carats.
The average size of diamonds recovered to date is 0.78 carats per stone, some of which have been classified as Type IIa by the Yehuda Colorimeter.
“While the processing of the kimberlite bulk sample is continuing, these initial diamond recoveries already represent the highest diamond count and carat weight of diamonds recovered from any kimberlite bulk sample processed at Lulo to date,” said Lucapa.
The miner said processing of the remainder of the approximately 3,200m3 fractured kimberlite bulk sample is continuing and a full reconciliation of processed volumes back to in situ tonnages and tonnages will be made upon completion of processing.
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished
