27.7 carat Diamond Found in Lesotho

A large, high quality diamond, unearthed in a diamond mine in Lesotho, was sold recently at a record price. European Diamonds, which is traded on London’s Alternative Investment Market, sold the 27.7 carat, clean, D-color stone for $27,008 per carat, according to South African Business Day.

The stone was part of a parcel of 13,567 carats, including stones of between 11 and 23 carats each, mined from the company’s Liqhobong mine. European Diamonds said the stone was recovered from the mine’s main pipe, which is the subject of a pre-feasibility study that will likely be completed early this year. Since taking on Liqhobong a year ago, European Diamonds has made $4.3 million in gross diamond sales

This latest find comes shortly after the discovery of the world’s fifteenth largest diamond at another diamond mine in Lesotho, the Letseng mine. The 603 carat diamond found there was sold by Gem Diamonds for $20,564 a carat to Safdico.