The Lesotho Pink Diamond
Storm Mountain Diamonds
Spectacular 108 carat pink diamond recovered at Kao Mine
Storm Mountain Diamonds (Pty) Ltd is delighted to announce the recovery on 23 March 2023 of a spectacular fancy intense pink diamond weighing 108.39ct at its Kao mine in the Kingdom of Lesotho.
This exceptionally rare Type IIa gemstone is one of the largest pink diamonds in history to have been recovered. Kao mine consistently produces large pink diamonds which have resulted in some of the rarest vivid polished outcomes. Some of these recent recoveries include the “Pink Eternity” (47.81ct) in 2022, the “Pink Dawn” (25.97ct) and “Pink Palesa” (21.68ct) in 2021, and the Rose of Kao (29.59ct) in 2018, and this latest find re-emphasizes Kao mine’s position as of one of the world’s most important producers of exceptional pink diamonds.
The Lesotho Minister of Natural Resources has commented of the diamond that “it is one of the most significant diamonds found to date in Lesotho”.
The Storm Mountain Diamonds (Pty) Ltd (‘SMD’) operates a kimberlite diamond mine at Kao, Lesotho.
The kimberlite pipe is the largest in Lesotho and the fourth largest in Southern Africa. SMD is jointly owned by Namakwa Diamonds Limited and the Lesotho Government.
We employ almost 800 people, 97% are Lesotho Citizens of which 34% come from the local village
Storm Mountain Diamonds (Pty) Ltd (SMD) operates Kao Mine in the District of Botha Bothe.
This is the fourth largest kimberlite pipe in Southern Africa – and the largest kimberlite pipe in Lesotho – from a coverage perspective at 19.8 hectares, with an indicated and inferred resource base of 12.7 million carats. Kao’s pipe has been explored and confirmed to a depth of 500m. The mine has approximatey 18 years of operation left.
A deposit with exceptional prospects, Kao yields rare coloured diamonds ranging from purple, pink, blue, yellow and top light brown to the classic whites. Globally, ‘fancy coloured’, also known as rare diamonds, are regarded as an exceptional investment. The blues, pinks and the purples tend to be the rarest with the exception of red; the rarest of the rare.
The company has managed to increase its processing capacity by 40% over the past five years and will continue to look for opportunities to expand.
We employ over 700 people and we have contributed over M700 million to the Lesotho Government fiscus through taxes and levies.
Our diamonds are sold on tender in Antwerp, through our sales and marketing partners; Bonas Couzyn Antwerpen NV.
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