Gem Diamonds Limited has announced the recovery of an exceptional quality 910 carat, D color Type IIa diamond from the Letšeng mine in Lesotho which is believed to be the fifth largest gem quality diamond ever found.
The mining company said in a statement that it is the largest diamond recovered from the high-altitude Letšeng mine.
The Letšeng mine is known for producing top color, exceptional white diamonds, and is the highest dollar per carat kimberlite diamond mine in the world, according to Gem Diamonds.
Clifford Elphick, Gem Diamonds’ Chief Executive Officer, commented: “Since Gem Diamonds acquired Letšeng in 2006, the mine has produced some of the world’s most remarkable diamonds, including the 603 carat Lesotho Promise. However, this exceptional top quality diamond is the largest to be mined to date and highlights the unsurpassed quality of the Letšeng mine."
Gem Diamonds did not give a preliminary price for the rough stone since it will need to be carefully examined and decisions made on the best-quality stones that can be cut from it.
By way of rough guidance, Lucara Diamond Corp. sold a 1,109-carat diamond for $53 million last year, but received a record $63 million for a smaller, 813-carat, stone it also found in 2015.
Just last week, Gem Diamonds announced that it had found two large rough stones weighing 117 carats and 110 carats, respectively.
Gem Diamonds owns 70% of the Letšeng mine in Lesotho and the government of Lesotho owns the rest.
Among the other remarkable diamonds recovered from Letšeng are:
2006 – Lesotho Promise (603 carat)
2007 – Lesotho Legacy (493 carat)
2008 – Leseli La Letšeng (478 carat)
2011 – Letšeng Star (550 carat)
2014 – Yellow (299 carat)
2015 – Letšeng Destiny (314 carat)
2015 – Letšeng Dynasty (357 carat)
