Lucara Diamond Corp., which mines in Botswana, has recovered a 1,111-carat gem quality, Type IIa diamond.
The stone, found in the south lobe of Lucara's Karowe mine, is the world's second-largest gem quality diamond ever recovered and the largest ever to be recovered through a modern processing facility and to be recovered in Botswana.
The stone was recovered by the newly installed Large Diamond Recovery (LDR) XRT machines. The stone measures 65mm x 56mm x 40mm.
Lucara President and CEO William Lamb, commented, "This historic diamond recovery puts Lucara and the Karowe mine amongst a select number of truly exceptional diamond producers.
"The significance of the recovery of a gem quality stone larger than 1,000 carats, the largest for more than a century, and the continued recovery of high-quality stones from the south lobe, cannot be overstated.
"Our focus on mining the south lobe, which is delivering value beyond expectation, has been perfectly timed with the commissioning of our recent plant modifications, enabling the recovery of these large, high quality exceptional diamonds."
