Lucara Diamond Corp. is a diamond exploration and mining company, founded in 2009 by two Canadian mining executives, Eira Thomas, Catherine McLeod-Seltzer, and Swedish-Canadian mining billionaire Lukas Lundin,[2] operating in Southern Africa[3][4] but established in Canada.[5] In August 2024, the world's second largest gem-quality diamond ever found, was found at the Karowe mine in Botswana.
Lucara owned a 40% share of the AK6kimberlite project (now the Karowe mine) in Botswana. In October 2010, Lucara bought African Diamonds, giving it a 100% share in the mine.[6] The mine has an estimated US$2.2 billion of diamonds.[7]AK6 is in the Orapa/Letlhakane district.[8]
Other operations include the Mothae diamond project in Lesotho, where kimberlite processing began in June 2010,[9] and where a 53.5 carat diamond has already been discovered;[10] the Kavango project in Namibia;[11] and planned mines and applications for mining licenses in Zimbabwe, Cameroon, and Botswana.[12]
Noted stones
On 18November 2015, the company announced the discovery of the Lesedi La Rona. At the time of discovery, it was the world's second largest gem-quality diamond ever (second only to the 3,106 carat Cullinan).[13] The type IIa diamond[14] was found in the company's Karowe mine in north-central Botswana. The diamond weighs 1,111 carat and measures 65 by 56 by 40mm (2.6 by 2.2 by 1.6in). A day later, two more diamonds weighing 813 and 374 carat, were also found.[15] All the stones came from the AK6 pipe opened 18 months earlier, it has since yielded over 1 million carats of diamonds.[16] The company has sold the 813 carat Constellation in May 2016 for $63.1 million [17] and a 341.9 carat diamond in July 2015 for $20.6 million.[18] The Lesedi has since sold for $53 million.[19]
The Lesedi was later surpassed as the world's second largest diamond by a 2,492-carat piece that was also discovered at the Karowe mine in August 2024.[20]
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