RAPAPORT… Gem Diamonds has unearthed two large rough stones from its Letšeng mine in Lesotho, marking the fourth and fifth diamonds from the deposit over 100 carats this year.
The stones — weighing 245 and 102 carats — are high-quality, white, type II diamonds, the miner said Monday. The company found both stones on the same day.
The recoveries follow that of two diamonds weighing 370 and 254 carats in May. The company also discovered a 146.9-carat rough in January.
Output of large stones has been sluggish in the first half of the year as Gem Diamonds mined lower-value areas of the deposit, it explained. In the first six months of the year, the company unearthed three 100-carat-plus diamonds, compared to seven in the same period of 2020. Last year, Gem Diamonds recovered 13 stones greater than 100 carats by September 30, and 16 for the full year.
Image: The 245-carat rough. (Gem Diamonds)
Letšeng Yields Two Diamonds over 100ct.
The Bottom Line
- Gem Diamonds found two high-quality, white, type II diamonds weighing 245 and 102 carats on the same day at Letšeng mine.
- These recoveries bring the total number of 100-carat-plus stones from Letšeng to five in 2021, following earlier finds of 370, 254, and 146.9 carats.
- Output of large stones has slowed in 2021 due to mining lower-value areas, with three 100-carat-plus diamonds recovered in the first half versus seven in the same period in 2020.
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