How many diamond mines are in Lesotho?
There are six diamond mines operating in the country and they are Lets’eng, Mothae, Kao, Liqhobong, Thaba Telle and Qaqa.
Who owns mines in Lesotho?
The Liqhobong diamond mine, located within the Liqhobong valley in the Maluti mountains, approximately 120km east-northeast (ENE) of Maseru, is owned by Liqhobong Mining Development Company (LMDC), a company owned by Firestone Diamonds (75%) and the Kingdom of Lesotho (25%).
What is the importance of diamond mining?
The vast majority of the world’s diamonds come from sources that use the revenues generated by diamonds to aid their national development. Given good governance and appropriate laws, diamonds are a vital source of revenue for building infrastructure and essential social services such as hospitals and schools.
Where are Lesotho diamonds sold?
Antwerp, Belgium
Lesotho’s diamonds are usually auctioned in Antwerp, Belgium. Buyers from as far as the Netherlands and Israel were joined by those from neighbouring South Africa and locals at the inaugural auction.
Where are most diamonds found?
Diamonds are found in over 30 countries, but the leading producers of diamonds are:
- Russia.
- Botswana.
- Canada.
- Angola.
- South Africa.
- Democratic Republic of Congo.
- Namibia.
Where are the most diamonds mined?
Top five diamond mining countries in the world
- Russia. Home to arguably the richest and largest diamond resources in the world, Russia tops the list with more than 12 open-pit mines.
- Botswana. Africa’s top diamond producer, Botswana sits second in this global list.
- Democratic Republic of Congo.
- Australia.
- Canada.
What is the best diamond mine in Lesotho?
Mothae diamond mine is a high-value kimberlite diamond mine located in the highlands of Lesotho. It is owned by its operator Lucapa Diamond Company (70%) and the Government of the Kingdom of Lesotho (30%).
When was the Mothae kimberlite mine discovered in Lesotho?
The Mothae kimberlite mine was discovered by Basutoland Diamonds in 1961. Lucara Diamond, a company based in Canada, undertook the development of the mine in 2009 and carried out trial mining in November 2010. Mothae kimberlite diamond project in Lesotho started commercial operation in December 2018.
What is the status of the Mothae Kimberlite Diamond Project?
The Mothae kimberlite diamond project is being developed in two phases. The first phase started commercial production in December 2018, after the commissioning of a 1.1 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) kimberlite treatment plant at the mine site in October 2018.