Lesotho Mines Provides One More Huge Diamond

British-based global diamond mining company Gem Diamonds, unveiled last week a 126-carat rock unearthed at its flagship Letšeng mine in Lesotho, the latest in a string of major discoveries at the operation this year.

Africa-focused Gem Diamonds, finding of the high quality D colour Type IIa diamond comes barely a month after the company discovered two massive diamonds at the same mine, a 151.52-carat Type I yellow rock and a high quality 104.73-carat, D-colour Type IIa stone. It also follows the recovery of a 114-carat diamond in April and an 80-carat, D-colour Type-II diamond found in May, one of the highest-quality diamonds to come out of the Letšeng mine. Type IIa diamonds contain very little or no nitrogen atoms, which places them among the most expensive stones.

Lesotho, officially called the Kingdom of Lesotho is an enclaved, landlocked country in southern Africa completely surrounded by South Africa. Letšeng mine situated in the Maluti Mountains is the World's highest diamond mine (3,100 m above sea level) and is well known for producing huge diamonds, having the highest percentage of large diamonds. Since acquiring Letšeng in 2006, Gem Diamonds has found four of the 20 largest white gem quality diamonds ever recovered, which makes of the mine the world’s highest dollar per carat kimberlite diamond operation.