17th June 2021
Sello Motseta
Debswana discovery of a 1,098.30 carats high gem-quality stone in the south kimberlite pipe in Jwaneng Mine in the landlocked, resource rich southern african country of Botswana has fueled a belief that more large diamond discoveries are imminent.
Debswana’s new large diamond recovery is said to be the third largest gem-quality find in the world to date with the first being the Cullinan Diamond of 3,106 carats size, found in South Africa by Sir Thomas Cullinan in 1905.
“Indeed, with the recent introduction of modern state of the art large diamond pilot plant, I have every hope that we will be able to recover more large diamonds,” said Lynette Armstrong, Acting Managing Director of Debswana.
She said, “This by all standards is a great metallurgical achievement to recover a diamond of this size intact through our conventional ore processing plant.”
The diamond which is 73mm long, 52mm wide and 27mm thick is the largest gem-quality diamond in the Company’s history since diamonds were discovered in the country in 1967 and the company’s incorporation in 1969.
Botswana’s last large diamond recovery was a stone measuring 446 carats at Jwaneng Mine in 1993. The mine has three kimberlite pipes, namely, the South Pipe, Centre Pipe and North Pipe with Debswana’s highest value recoveries coming from the Centre Pipe.
“The first sighting of the stone was on 1st June by our colleagues Kefentse Orakeng and Phodiso Selaledi when it was processed in the Aquarium Plant. This sighting was confirmed three days later in the Sorthouse on 4th June by a team led by Wapula Gaolatlhe,” said Armstrong.
The find is likely to have a positive effect on markets with Botswana whose diamonds account for about two thirds of its export earnings experiencing a 24.0 percent decline in economy activity in second half of 2020 via-a-vis same period in 2019 owing to outbreak of COVID-19 and mitigation measures to curb the pandemic.
Amongst the hardest-hit sectors were Mining, Trade, Hotels and Restaurants, Construction, and Manufacturing.
