Lucara Forecasts Sale of 400,000 Carats from Karowe Mine in 2013

Karowe Sorting Plant

(IDEX Online News) – Lucara Diamond Corp. has said the Karowe diamond mine is projected to process 2.5 million tons, resulting in diamond sales of 400,000 carats in 2013. The forecast, which is an increase of almost 75 percent compared to 2012, was made in its operating performance guideline for 2013. 

The company is planning eight sales during the year, with viewings in both Gaborone and Antwerp.

“The current year has been a successful and rewarding year for Lucara as we transitioned from a developing company into a production company completing construction of our Karowe mine on schedule and on budget,” said president and CEO William Lamb.

Lamb added that by the end of the first year of production, Lucara will have sold more than 230,000 carats of diamond, including a rare 9.46 carat blue diamond which achieved a record price of more than $477,000 per carat. 

Lucara’s two key assets are the Karowe mine in Botswana and the Mothae project in Lesotho. The 75-percent owned Mothae project has completed its trial mining program