Africa’s leading diamond producer, Botswana, has reinforced its status as a global powerhouse in the gemstone industry after a massive 1,305.4-carat diamond was recovered from the country’s renowned Karowe mine, adding yet another extraordinary discovery to its record of producing some of the world’s largest and most valuable diamonds.
- Botswana has reinforced its position as a top diamond producer with the recovery of a 1,305.4-carat diamond from the Karowe mine.
- This marks the tenth diamond over 1,000 carats found at Karowe, an unmatched accomplishment in the diamond industry.
- The massive gem was recovered using advanced Mega Diamond Recovery X-ray Transmission technology to safely extract large stones.
- The discovery underscores Karowe’s exceptional geology and bolsters confidence in its long-term value, particularly as it transitions to underground mining.
The latest find, announced by Lucara Diamond Corp, marks the tenth diamond weighing more than 1,000 carats to be recovered from the Karowe mine, an achievement unmatched by any other diamond mine in history.
Mining Weekly reports that the enormous gem was recovered using the mine’s Mega Diamond Recovery X-ray Transmission (XRT) technology, which is specifically designed to identify and preserve exceptionally large diamonds without breaking them during processing.
Lucara President and CEO William Lamb described the discovery as another defining moment for the mine.
“The recovery of our tenth diamond exceeding 1,000 carats is another extraordinary milestone for Karowe and further demonstrates the singular nature of this world-class orebody. No diamond mine in history has consistently produced diamonds of this magnitude, and Karowe continues to set itself apart on the global stage,” Lamb said.
Karowe continues to redefine giant diamond discoveries
The newly recovered diamond was found while processing a blend of material from the current open-pit operation and previously mined stockpiled ore.
As a result, Lucara said it cannot conclusively determine whether the stone originated from ongoing mining activities or from older run-of-mine material.
Despite that uncertainty, the discovery further highlights the exceptional geology of the Karowe orebody, which has repeatedly yielded rare, high-quality diamonds over the past decade.
Lamb noted that the latest recovery strengthens confidence in the long-term value of the mine as it transitions to underground operations.
“While we cannot determine with certainty whether this diamond originated from current pit production or previously stockpiled material, its recovery is another powerful reminder of the unique diamond population hosted within the Karowe orebody.”
“Recoveries of this nature reinforce our confidence in the exceptional value potential of the resource and the continued development of the Karowe Underground Project.” Lamb added.
Karowe is currently undergoing a major transformation as Lucara develops its Underground Project (UGP), which is designed to access the highest-value portion of the orebody after the depletion of the open pit.
According to the company, underground development ore is expected to begin replacing stockpiled material in 2027, while full-scale underground production is scheduled to commence in the first half of 2028.
Since commercial production began, Karowe has earned a global reputation for recovering some of the largest gem-quality diamonds ever discovered.
Among its most celebrated finds are the 1,109-carat Lesedi La Rona, the 1,094-carat Seriti, the 1,080-carat Eva Star, and the remarkable 2,488-carat Motswedi—the largest diamond discovered anywhere in the world in more than a century.
The latest recovery further cements Botswana’s position as Africa’s foremost diamond producer and underscores the country’s continued importance to the global luxury gemstone market.
Diamonds remain one of Botswana’s most significant exports and a cornerstone of its economy, with discoveries from Karowe helping sustain the country’s reputation as the world’s premier source of rare, high-value diamonds.
Business Insider Africa