Lucara finds a rare blue diamond at the Botswana mine

Canada’s Lucara Diamond has recovered a high-quality 36.92-carat blue diamond from stockpiled ore at its 100%-owned Karowe mine in Botswana. The Type IIb stone was recovered using X-ray transmission technology, underscoring the continued value of Karowe’s surface stockpiles, which have also yielded five diamonds exceeding 100 carats so far this year.

“The recovery of this stunning blue, high-quality diamond from the Karowe mine again reinforces the special nature of this asset,” President and CEO William Lamb said. “Recoveries such as this demonstrate the value contained within the company’s surface stockpiles, which remain an important source of mill feed and a contributor to ongoing diamond recoveries.”

The discovery comes as Lucara advances plans to extend Karowe’s life through an underground expansion, with a feasibility study outlining potential recovery of 4.5 million carats over a 10-year mine life.

The push to expand the operation highlights Lucara’s strategy to double down on a flagship asset despite a global diamond market downturn marked by weaker revenues, halted operations and rising competition from lab-grown stones.