DiamondBuzz
Lucara nets $54m from two stones from Karowe mine
The luxury brand’s new boutique at the Taj Krishna in Banjara Hills highlights its celebrated fine jewellery and global couture collections.
Lucara raised $54m from the sale of two exceptional stones – weighing 1,080 carats and 549 carats – both recovered at its Karowe mine, in Botswana, it said this week. The 549 carat Type IIa Sethunya diamond was recovered in February 2020 and was sold to the French luxury maison Louis Vuitton.The 1,080 carat Eva Star, recovered in August 2023, was acquired by an unnamed buyer.
Canadian miner Lucara, 100 per cent owner of the mine, said it was “delighted” to announce details of the sales, now that final payments had been received and the goods had been delivered. It did not specify the price achieved by the diamonds individually, but said they’d sold for a combined sum of $54m and had recognized $44m in revenue net of fees, excluding royalties.
“The company received $20m in previous years and following this sale, a further $24m was due, of which $16m and $8m were received in Q4 2024 and Q1 2025 respectively,” Lucara said in a statement. “The sale of these two extraordinary diamonds further validates our investment in the Karowe underground project,” said William Lamb, president and CEO of Lucara. “The unique characteristics of Karowe’s kimberlite, particularly in the South Lobe, continue to amaze us with its ability to produce diamonds of exceptional size and quality.”
DiamondBuzz
ALROSA Indicates Mir-Deep Project Could Commence As Early As Next Year
The Project Is Viewed As Strategically Significant Given The Historic Contribution Of The Mir Asset To ALROSA’s Production Portfolio
ALROSA has indicated that development activity at the proposed Mir-Deep project could commencece as early as next year, positioning the asset as the long-term successor to the original Mir Mine operation, which was permanently shut following the fatal 2017 flooding incident that resulted in eight casualties.
The company stated that it is prepared to accelerate execution of the construction phase of the Mir-Deep project—estimated in 2024 at an investment outlay exceeding US$1.5 billion—subject to favorable macroeconomic conditions and a reduction in borrowing costs. The development reflects ALROSA’s broader strategy to restore high-volume production capacity while optimizing capital deployment amid evolving financing conditions.
Mir-Deep is planned at the same site as the historic Mir mine in eastern Siberia and will involve the sinking of new shafts to access deeper diamond-bearing reserves located below the previous accident zone, within the same geological structure. The project is viewed as strategically significant given the historic contribution of the Mir asset to ALROSA’s production portfolio. Prior to its closure, the mine was producing approximately 3.8 million carats annually, representing nearly 10% of the company’s total output.
Originally commissioned in 1957 as the first diamond mine in the former USSR, the Mir operation remains one of Russia’s most iconic diamond assets. The 2017 flooding disaster resulted in extensive destruction of underground infrastructure, mining workings, and equipment, leading to the suspension of operations.
In an operational update issued on 28 April, Pavel Marinychev confirmed that preparatory activities initiated in 2023 had been completed and that Russia’s Main State Expert Review authority (Glavgosexpertiza) had approved the extraction of certain reserves within the project area.
Earlier resource assessments released in September 2023 estimated identified reserves at approximately 173.5 million carats. More recent evaluations by Russia’s State Commission on Reserves have reportedly increased the estimated resource base to nearly 200 million carats, further strengthening the project’s long-term economic potential and strategic relevance within the global diamond supply landscape.
ALROSA Indicates Mir-Deep Project Could Commence As Early As Next Year
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