Wow! That’s Big! XRT Technology helps Lucara Recover an Exceptionally Large 2,492 carat Diamond from its Karowe Diamond Mine in Botswana

Wow! That’s Big! XRT Technology helps Lucara Recover an Exceptionally Large 2,492 carat Diamond from its Karowe Diamond Mine in Botswana

Lucara Press Release –
Gary Roskin –
Roskin Gem News Report –

Lucara Diamond Corp. is thrilled to announce the recovery of an exceptional 2,492 carat diamond from its Karowe Diamond Mine in Botswana. This would be the world’s second largest gem quality rough diamond crystal ever found, second only to the famous 3,106 carat Cullinan Diamond.

The Science of Finding BIG Diamonds
This remarkable find, one of the largest rough gem quality diamonds ever unearthed, was detected and recovered by Lucara’s Mega Diamond Recovery (“MDR”) X-ray Transmission (“XRT”) technology, installed in 2017 to identify and preserve large, high-value diamonds.

Words from the President
William Lamb, President and CEO of Lucara, commented on this historic discovery: “We are ecstatic about the recovery of this extraordinary 2,492 carat diamond. This find not only showcases the remarkable potential of our Karowe Mine, but also upholds our strategic investment in cutting-edge XRT technology. The ability to recover such a massive, high-quality stone intact demonstrates the effectiveness of our approach to diamond recovery and our commitment to maximizing value for our shareholders and stakeholders.” … “This discovery reinforces Karowe’s position as a truly world-class diamond mine and highlights the continued success of our operational and underground development strategy.”

A Little History of the Biggest Diamond
The Cullinan Diamond was found in 1905 at the Premier Mine, in Cullinan, in the Highveld region of South Africa. Because of its historical importance, the Premier Mine has since been renamed the Cullinan Mine.  

A Weight To Beat
Most texts will list the Cullinan diamond as weighing 3,106 carats. According to Gempedia, historic references list its weight as being 3,024¾ to 3,025¾ old British carats – Gempedia pp.183.

For the Mineralogist: click the link
The stone was recovered from the processing of EM/PK(S) kimberlite, the dominant ore type that Lucara will continue to target during the first years of the Company’s underground mining operations.

Also from MDR XRT technology… 2023

Better Technology Yields a 692 Carat Diamond at the Karowe Mine in Botswana

August 23, 2023

The Lucara Diamond Corp. has announced the recovery of a 692.3 carat diamond (image above) from its 100% owned Karowe Diamond Mine located in Botswana. 

The diamond, measuring 46.5 x 40.7 x 28.4 mm is Type IIa, recovered in the TOMRA MDR XRT (TOMRA’s Mega Diamond Recovery X-ray Transmission unit) at Karowe.  The 692.3 carat diamond represents the fourth +300 carat diamond recovered year to date and shortly follows on the recovery of the 1,080 carat Type IIa earlier in August.

Tap here to read the full story in the Roskin Gem News Report.

This discovery underscores Karowe’s reputation as a world-class asset and reaffirms Lucara’s position as a leading producer of large, exceptional diamonds. This latest recovery joins an impressive roster of other significant finds from the mine, including the 1,758 carat Sewelô and the 1,109 carat Lesedi La Rona.

Botswana
This discovery symbolizes Botswana’s continued ascent as a global leader in diamond production. It represents not only the unparalleled wealth found in Botswana’s soil, but also the remarkable progress the nation has made in developing its diamond industry for the benefit of its citizens.

Botswana’s diamond industry delivers wide-ranging socio-economic benefits to the country that extend well beyond the mining sector. Its influence supports national development by funding critical areas such as education and healthcare.

Karowe
Lucara Diamond Corp. is a Canadian diamond mining company with a producing mine and exploration licenses in Botswana. The mine is called “Karowe” which means precious stone in the local language. The mine was completed in 2012 on time and within a budget of US$120 million.