SAFDICO Pays $10.4M for 493 Carat Letseng Legacy Diamond
(November 15, '07, 2:58 Edahn Golan)

The Letseng Legacy, a 493.27 carat diamond mined at the Letseng diamond mine in Lesotho, was sold to SAFDICO for $10.4 million. The DTC Sightholder is the manufacturing arm of Graff Jewellers. The winning bid reflects a price of $21,083.79 per carat.

 

SAFDICO was also the winning bidder for the 603 carat Lesotho Promise diamond in 2006, which sold for $12.36 million ($20,497.51 p/c). Both auctions were held in Antwerp, hosted by the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC).

 

The Lesotho Promise was also mined at Letseng, which is owned by Gem Diamonds Limited (70%) and the Government of the Kingdom of Lesotho (30%). Letseng has produced three of the world’s top 20 diamonds.

 

“We are very pleased to have once again made the winning bid for such an historic diamond,” said Johnny Kneller of SAFDICO. “To have acquired the Letseng Legacy as well as the Lesotho Promise is a great achievement for SAFDICO and Mr. Graff. This stone, as the previous one, will of course be manufactured in Antwerp.”