Lucara Diamond, formally Lucara Diamond Corp., is a TSX-listed (LUC) producer headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, whose business is built around a single mine: Karowe in Botswana. Although small by carat-output standards, Karowe under Lucara's operation has become the most reliable source in the modern industry for rough diamonds above 100 carats, and the company is routinely associated with the recovery of named stones and record-class material.

Operational profile

Karowe lies on the AK6 kimberlite pipe in north-central Botswana, acquired from De Beers in 2009 and brought into commercial production in 2012. The orebody is unusual for the proportion of its value carried by stones in the larger size classes (especially Type IIa material from the south lobe). To preserve such stones from breakage during recovery, Lucara installed XRT detection technology that identifies large diamonds early in the circuit and diverts them past conventional crushing. The technology has been credited with the survival of several of the mine's most exceptional finds.

Notable production

Karowe diamonds in the public record include the 1,109-carat Lesedi La Rona (2015), the 1,758-carat Sewelô (2019), the 1,174-carat unnamed stone (2021), and the 2,492-carat recovery of August 2024, the second-largest rough diamond ever weighed. Lucara's commercial arrangements have included partnership with HB Antwerp for cutting and marketing of large-stone production, and direct-tender sales of polished portions through specialised channels rather than traditional rough auctions.