Storm Mountain Diamonds has recovered a 108.39-carat diamond from its Kao mine in Lesotho.
The company, a joint venture between Namakwa Diamonds and the Lesotho government, found the fancy-intense-pink, type IIa diamond on March 23, it said last week. The stone is one of the largest pink diamonds ever unearthed, the miner claims.
“It is one of the most significant diamonds found to date in Lesotho,” said Mohlomi Moleko, minister of natural resources for Lesotho.
Before this discovery, Kao’s biggest diamond of that color was the Pink Eternity, a 47.80-carat stone found in October 2022. The deposit has also yielded other high-value pinks, including the 29.59-carat Rose of Kao, the 25.97-carat Pink Dawn, and the 21.86-carat Pink Palesa.
Kao, one of the largest diamond mines in Lesotho, has approximately 18 years of operation remaining. It is expected to provide an additional 12.7 million carats of rough over that time.
Image: The 108.39-carat pink diamond. (Storm Mountain Diamonds)