Lesotho mine yields 478-carat diamond

Diamonds

Save

E-mail

Lesotho mine yields 478-carat diamond

September 23, 2008

Similar Stories | Topics

STORIES

478-carat diamond goes for $18.4 million

Blom to possibly bring bourse to Lesotho

493-carat 'Letseng Legacy' up for auction

One of world's largest rough diamonds sells for $12.4 million

Big diamonds don't sell at Sotheby's

London—Mining company Gem Diamonds, in cooperation with the government of the Kingdom of Lesotho, recovered a 478-carat diamond from a mine in the African kingdom, the company announced recently.

Recovered from the Letseng Mine, the large piece of rough was sent to Antwerp, Belgium, where it was determined that the diamond was a type II D-color diamond with no inclusions visible in its rough form and of outstanding clarity, according to Gem Diamonds.

The diamond ranks as the 20th-largest piece of rough uncovered in history and has the potential to yield one of the largest flawless D-color polished diamonds in history.

It is the third significant recovery from the Letseng Mine in recent years.

The mine, which was owned by De Beers for many years, yielded the 603-carat Lesotho Promise in 2006 and the 493-carat Letseng Legacy in 2007.

Including the 601-carat Lesotho Brown, recovered in 1960, the Letseng Mine has produced four of the world's 20 largest rough diamonds and the three largest diamonds recovered this century.

"Once again, Letseng has proven its ability to produce extraordinary diamonds and continues to place Lesotho at the forefront of diamond-producing countries," Lesotho's Minister of Natural Resources Monyane Moleleki said in a media release. "We will continue to proudly develop this asset and the rare diamonds that it produces to their maximum value for the benefit of the people of Lesotho."

Established in 2005, London Stock Exchange-listed Gem Diamonds is a global diamond company with operations in Angola, Australia, Botswana, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Lesotho and Indonesia.

Save

E-mail

Diamonds

GIA Lab offers Holiday Express Service

Carlsbad, Calif.--The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has announced that the GIA Laboratory will again offer its Holiday Express Service during the holiday season, from Dec. 1-19. Read More

Report: Luxury consumers becoming more discerning

'Unbreakable Kiss' supports AIDS research

More Diamonds

More Like This

478-carat diamond goes for $18.4 million

December 04, 2008 | National Jeweler Network

Blom to possibly bring bourse to Lesotho

March 12, 2008 | National Jeweler Network

493-carat 'Letseng Legacy' up for auction

November 09, 2007 | National Jeweler Network

One of world's largest rough diamonds sells for $12.4 million

October 09, 2006 | National Jeweler Network

Big diamonds don't sell at Sotheby's

November 20, 2008 | National Jeweler Network

Video

Retailer Toolbar

LoupeIt!
A search engine designed specifically for the jewelry industry where every return is relevant to the retail jeweler.

Newsletters
Topic-specific newsletters that deliver the latest news on jewelry, diamonds, wholesale operations and high-volume buying directly to your in-box.

ReaderConnect
Supplier information presented with every article, bringing you related, actionable content on every topic.

Yellow Pages
A comprehensive listing of associations, organizations, suppliers and services for the jewelry industry.

Classifieds
A comprehensive listing of job postings, product offerings and other materials for sale for the jewelry industry.

CustomerConnect
The most sophisticated suite of marketing services available for jewelry retailers, from Internet tools to data marketing.