Lucara recovers 470-Carat Clivage Diamond

The stone is the third +300 carat diamond recovered by the Vancouver-based miner to-date in 2021.

GAZETTE REPORTER

Canadian mining firm, Lucara Diamond Corporation, has announced recovery of a 470-carat top light brown clivage diamond from its 100 percent owned Karowe Diamond Mine that is located in Boteti sub-district.

The diamond represents the third +300 carat diamond recovered by the Vancouver-based miner to-date in 2021. This is the mining company that is best known for such exceptional finds at its open pit operations in Karowe.

Year-to-date, Karowe has produced 10 diamonds greater than 100 carats, among them six diamonds greater than 200 carats, including the 341-carat and 378-carat top white diamonds recovered in January 2021.

According to Lucara, the diamond, measuring 49x42x26mm, was recovered from direct milling of ore sourced from the EM/PK(S) unit of the South Lobe. “The 470-carat recovery forms a notable contribution to a series of top quality gem and clivage quality diamond recoveries during a recent production run, including additional five diamonds greater than 100 carats (265ct, 183ct, 161ct, 116ct, 106ct) and 13 diamonds between 50 and 100 carats in weight,” Lucara stated.

“The May production run, dominated by EM/PK(S) ore, produced diamonds greater than 10.8 carat in weight accounting for 12.7 percent weight percent of total production, exceeding resource expectations.”

Commenting on the recovery, the CEO of Lucara, Eira Thomas, noted that the benefits of a South Lobe dominated mine-plan that continue to be realised in 2021 underpin Lucara’s confidence in the ever-improving Karowe resource as they mine deeper in the open pit to 2026 and move into underground mining out to at least 2040.

“Both main rock types from the South Lobe continue to deliver large, high value diamonds, including six diamonds greater than 200 carats in the first five months of this year alone,” she said. “Our operations remain safe, stable and strong, maintaining all COVID-19 protocols.”