Lucapa unearths second largest diamond from Lulo mine

The Lucapa Diamond Company has made a significant discovery at its Lulo mine in Angola, recovering a 235-carat rough diamond. This remarkable find is the second-largest ever recovered from the Lulo mine.

The diamond was found in Mining Block 550, located just south of Mining Block 19, which has previously yielded eight diamonds over 100 carats, including a 123-carat rough diamond discovered at the beginning of October.

This recent discovery marks the 40th stone over 100 carats to be recovered from the Lulo mine since mining operations began there in 2015. Additionally, Lucapa Diamond Company also retrieved a 208-carat rough diamond from Lulo at the end of October.

Lulo mine

Lucapa’s managing director, Nick Selby, expressed the company’s enthusiasm, noting that “Lulo continues to demonstrate it is a prolific producer of large diamonds.” The company is dedicated to exploring the area further to locate the primary source of these valuable diamonds and plans to allocate more resources to its exploration program.

The 235-carat rough diamond, along with the 208-carat and 123-carat diamonds, is expected to be offered in a special tender organized by Angola’s national diamond-trading company, Sodiam, later this month. Lucapa Diamond Company operates the Lulo mine in partnership with Angola’s national diamond company, Endiama, and a private entity, Rosas & Petalas.

The Lulo mine is renowned for its high-dollar-per-carat alluvial diamond operation and has consistently produced large and valuable diamonds. Angola is a significant player in the global diamond industry, ranking fifth in diamond production by value and sixth by volume. The country has been gradually reducing government regulations and restrictions, allowing for increased participation by private entities in the diamond sector.