Firestone Diamonds announced the recovery of a 215-carat rough diamond from its Liqhobong mine in Lesotho, marking the largest high-quality stone found at the deposit to date. The company intends to offer the diamond through a competitive bidding tender, following viewings in Antwerp and Dubai. Firestone holds a 75% stake in Liqhobong, with the remaining 25% owned by the Lesotho government. After experiencing challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Firestone resumed operations in October 2022.
The upcoming Technical and Scientific Days of the Mining Workers’ Day, running from April 15th to 27th, will showcase significant milestones in Angolan mining, including the inauguration of the Samiluana diamond project in Lucapa and the Cácata Phosphate Exploration Project in Cabinda. The Samiluana diamond project, located in Lunda-Norte province, boasts an estimated production capacity of 12 thousand carats per month and is set to create 762 jobs. With a 33 percent stake from Samiluana
Botswana Diamonds’ Chairperson, John Teeling, has highlighted several positive developments achieved by the company in 2023. These include the discovery of a high-grade anomaly similar in size to the KX36 kimberlite pipe, progress on Thorny River mining permits in South Africa, and renewed interest in the Ghaghoo diamond mine in Botswana. Despite a depressed diamond market in 2023, Teeling remains optimistic about the long-term outlook for mined diamonds. He acknowledges the growing market for lab-grown
The Angolan Government is taking decisive steps to criminalize illegal diamond mining, a practice involving an estimated 1.3 million “garimpeiros” (illegal diamond explorers), mostly foreigners. This move comes amidst concerns over the harmful impacts of illegal mining on the environment, public health, and national security. Presenting the proposal for a Law to Combat Illegal Mining Activity in parliament, Secretary of State for Mineral Resources, Jânio Correia Vitor, emphasized the need for more efficient mechanisms to
The Angolan government has raised concerns about illegal diamond exploration, highlighting the potential risk it poses to the commercialization of Angolan diamonds in Europe and America. The need to criminalize “garimpeiros” (artisanal miners) has been emphasized to address this issue. Jânio Correia Vitor, the Secretary of State for Mineral Resources, stressed the international association of illegal diamond mining with human rights violations, warning of potential repercussions on diamond sales abroad. He emphasized the importance of
Botswana officials have voiced apprehension over the Group of Seven’s (G7) planned restrictions on Russian diamonds, warning of potential negative impacts on the country’s diamond trade and economic progress. Lefoko Moagi, Botswana’s minister of mineral resources, green technology, and energy security, emphasized that the proposed requirement to channel all diamonds through Antwerp for verification poses logistical challenges and could hinder Botswana’s beneficiation efforts. The government is advocating for verification processes to occur in producer countries
Several trade groups have come together to appeal to the Group of Seven (G7), urging them to reassess their plan to ban Russian diamonds, citing potential detrimental effects on the industry. The US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) confirmed earlier this month that sanctions on diamonds of 1 carat and above would commence on March 1. However, no guidance was provided on the implementation process or the necessary procedures for the trade. The
Sociedade Mineira de Catoca (SMC) has unveiled ambitious plans for diamond production and investment in 2024, aiming to recover approximately 6.9 million carats while investing $69.282 million. Porfírio Soares, a company representative, shared these insights during the presentation of the company’s 2023 activities. The investment focus for 2024 includes enhancing prospecting activities to increase reserves, upgrading equipment fleets, and improving treatment centers to optimize work quality and reduce downtime. Furthermore, SMC anticipates commercial success, projecting
Lucapa announced Thursday the recovery of its recent diamond discovery, marking the fifth-largest find at the Lulo mine in its 12 years of operation. The miner retrieved the diamond from processing run-of-mine stockpiled ore already on site. This discovery also marks the third diamond weighing over 100 carats found by Lucapa this year alone. In the preceding month, the miner unearthed two type IIa stones, weighing 162.42 and 116.14 carats, respectively, on consecutive days. The
Debswana, in preparation for its upcoming Jwaneng underground project in Botswana, has been actively nurturing local talent and enhancing skills development by enrolling graduate learners in various mining-related disciplines. Selected from a pool of candidates, 26 graduates are currently undergoing experiential learning at the Mopani Central training center in Zambia, a strategic move aimed at equipping them with the necessary skills and expertise for the challenges ahead. This initiative not only strengthens Debswana’s strategic partnerships
