JOHANNESBURG – Firestone Diamond said on Tuesday that it had recovered a 70 carat white, makeable diamond from its Liqhobong Mine in Lesotho.
The latest recovery of the diamond comes after a 46-carat gem was found in December 2018 and was then sold for more than $1 million (R13,77mn).
Firestone Diamond said the 70 carat diamond was recovered undamaged and would go on sale at the next tender scheduled for March.
"The 70 carat stone was recovered in the northern, low-grade part of the pit where the bulk of our mining will take place in the coming months," CEO Paul Bosma said.
"Although the market for the smaller stones has been under pressure, we’ve seen continued demand and good prices realised for the special stones."
Firestone Diamonds operates in Lesotho and Botswana and is listed on the AIM exchange, a sub-market of the London Stock Exchange.