Category: Diamond

The biggest diamond miner in Zimbabwe said it will be able to increase production of rough gems by about 30% to 3 million carats this year thanks to improved mining methods. Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Co.’s mines in the east of the country have so far met monthly targets of 200,000 carats, Chief Executive Officer Mark Mabhudhu said in an interview in Harare, the capital. The company produced 2.3 million carats worth of diamonds in 2020 and mostly sold them to India and the Middle East. Its higher production comes as… Read More Here

Lucapa Diamond Company and its partners Empresa Nacional de Diamantes E.P. and Rosas & Petalas have announced the results of the recent diamond sale of 2021 by Sociedade Mineira Do Lulo from its Lulo alluvial mine in Angola. The rough diamond parcel of 4,000 carats was sold for a total of US$5.0 million or US$1,239 per carat. This sale excluded seven high-value diamonds, including two pink diamonds, which have been put aside for a later sale. This sale brings total 2021 year to date rough diamond sales from both diamond… Read More Here

Africa-focused Gem Diamonds (LON:GEMD) has found a high quality 254 carat Type II white gem at its Letšeng mine in Lesotho, the highest dollar per carat diamond mine in the world. Since acquiring Letšeng in 2006, the company has found more than 60 white gem quality diamonds over 100 carats each, with 16 of them recovered last year. At an average elevation of 3,100 metres (10,000 feet) above sea level, Letšeng is also one of the world’s highest diamond mines. Gem Diamonds’ performance improved significantly in 2020, despite pandemic-related restrictions. The miner saw sales… Read More Here

Dual-listed diamond explorer Botswana Diamonds will begin a further drilling programme on its Thorny River diamond prospect, in South Africa’s Limpopo province, on April 19. Following the discovery of the River kimberlite pipe, the company upgraded the potential of the property. An area with a similar geological and geophysical footprint immediately to the east of the River Pipe has been identified. Analysis suggests potential for a larger kimberlite body than already identified. Following completion of earth works during the course of this week, a six-hole reverse circulation programme will be… Read More Here

Angola may be the world’s fifth-largest producer of diamonds but the sector is a far cry from reaching its true potential. Currently, only 40% of the country’s known diamond resources are being mined and recovered. Hurdles to development and foreign investment in the past have been mainly as a result of regulatory policies and a weak legislation. However, AHMED ABDEL-HAKAM, senior associate of Eversheds Sutherland in the UK believes that the right policies are now in place to steer the country’s diamond sector in the right direction. Gerard Peter reports. Absel-Haam was speaking as a… Read More Here

Diversified miner Anglo American’s diamond mining business De Beers’ third sales cycle of rough diamonds for this year generated $440-million. Owing to the restrictions on the movement of people and products in various jurisdictions around the globe as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, De Beers continued to implement a more flexible approach to rough diamond sales during the third sales cycle of this year, resulting in the sight event having been extended beyond its normal week-long duration. As a result, the provisional rough diamond sales figure quoted for the third… Read More Here

Aim-listed diamond producer BlueRock Diamonds has sold three gem-quality diamonds weighing 8.4 ct, 10.6 ct and 9.7 ct for $214 000. Bluerock, which owns and operates the Kareevlei diamond mine in the Kimberley region of South Africa, sold the diamonds for $88 000, $73 000 and $53 000, respectively. BlueRock executive chairperson Mike Houston says the sale of these high-value diamonds follows the sale of a 14.8 ct diamond for $170 000 in January Read More Here

Lucapa Diamond Company and the Government of the Kingdom of Lesotho have announced the results of the second diamond sale in 2021 from the Mothae kimberlite mine in Lesotho. The 5,619-carat parcel of rough diamonds was sold for US$1,050/ carat or US$5.9 million. The sale included the 215 carat D-colour stone (213 carat post-boiling weight) and an 11-carat pink diamond. Mothae, as a result of the strong production and sales results, has repaid US$2.0 million to Lucapa in respect of the loan advanced for the development, construction and expansion of… Read More Here