Diamond miner Lucara Diamond Corp has recovered a 1 305.4 ct diamond from its Karowe mine, in Botswana, marking the tenth diamond weighing more than 1 000 ct to be recovered at the mine.

"The recovery of our tenth diamond exceeding 1 000 ct 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," comments Lucara president and CEO William Lamb.

The diamond was recovered by the Mega Diamond Recovery X-ray Transmission machines, which have been instrumental in preserving and recovering some of the world's largest gem-quality diamonds. It was recovered while processing a blend of openpit material and previously mined, unprocessed stockpiled ore. As a result, the company cannot conclusively determine whether the diamond originated from current openpit mining or from run-of-mine stockpiled material.

"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 (UGP)," says Lamb.

Karowe is transitioning from openpit to underground mining with the development of the UGP. The UGP is designed to access the highest-value portion of the Karowe orebody. Underground development ore from the UGP is scheduled to begin replacing unprocessed run-of-mine stockpiles in 2027, with full-scale underground production planned for the first half of 2028.

Since commencing production, Karowe has established an unmatched record for the recovery of large, high-quality diamonds, including the 1 109 ct Lesedi La Rona, the 1 094 ct Seriti, the 1 080 ct Eva Star and the 2 488 ct Motswedi – the largest diamond discovered in more than a century.