Archive

  • Lucapa Diamond Company has announced the discovery of an extraordinary 176-carat Type IIa diamond at the Lulo Mine in Angola. This remarkable find marks the fifth diamond over 100 carats this year, highlighting Lulo's potential as a leading source of high-value gems. Since starting operations in 2015, the mine has produced 45 diamonds exceeding 100 carats.

  • The wet season in Angola - which was very severe this year and caused heavy flooding - has ended. Now that the water has receded and most areas are accessible again, Lucapa Diamond Company is resuming its exploration activities. The focus is on the Kimberlite L014 area, the area beneath the Cacuilo-rivier, as this area is more likely to be the major source of the diamonds being found in the river’s alluvial deposits. The road to access the L014 area has begun, along with auger drilling to better define the location of the best material for sampling.

  • Lucapa Diamond Company announced yesterday the recovery of a 195 carat diamond, discovered in the Lulo Alluvial Mine in Angola. It involves a type IIa diamond, which occurs only very rarely in nature. Special about this type of diamonds is the fact that they have no measurable nitrogen or boron impurities, making them the most chemically pure diamonds with the highest thermal conductivity that exists. Mostly these diamonds are colorless, but they can also be gray, light brown, light yellow or light pink.

  • According to Interfax, quoting Russia's Ministry of Finance Moiseyev, Alrosa will have to sell its stake in Angola's Catoca operation, as pressure from the West on the Angolans mounts to cut ties with Russian, sanctioned entities. According to Moiseyev negotiations to take over Alrosa's share, which originally stood at 41% of the mining operation, are ongoing with "friendly investors".

  • Lucapa, operating the Lulo mine in Angola and Mothae in Lesotho, reports Q1 results were down with revenues clocking at US$13.1m, down 28% y-o-y, and rough prices down 41%, from avg 1,350US$/ct to 798US$/ct. Lulo production focused on lower grade areas due to flooding, resulting in low grades in carats recovered, while Mothae production improved in terms of carats recovered but with a significantly lower frequency of exceptional, high value diamonds.

  • ASX-listed Lucapa Diamond Company announced that three exceptional diamonds achieved US$10.5 million at the first tender of Lulo diamonds for 2024.

  • Four incentives have been introduced by the Angolan Ministry of Mineral Resources to support beneficiation manufacturing in the country. The process works towards rewarding manufacturers and miners who take extra measures to treat materials further in their production chains. The four measures that have been introduced are as follows:

  • The CEO of Namibia Desert Diamonds (NAMDIA) expressed interest to work with the Angolan diamond companies after a recent visit from the Angolan Minister of Mineral Resources, Petroleum and Gas, Dr Diamantino Pedro Azevedo, at the NAMDIA Headquarters. Their talks highlighted the potential Namibia and Angola has in promoting the region’s diamonds to generate even greater value for Namibia and Angola, both of which are alluvial-producing countries.

  • Angolan Minister of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas Diamantino Azevedo has announced that the country intends to create tax incentives to attract more investors to the diamond-cutting sector.
    The announcement was made over the weekend by the minister at the inauguration of the fifth diamond-cutting factory at Saurimo Diamond Development Park in the Lunda Sul province.

  • Lucapa Diamond Company Limited together with Lulo partners, Endiama and Rosas & Petalas, have announced today the recovery of a 150-carat white Type IIa diamond from the Lulo Alluvial Mine in Angola. This stone represents the the 36th +100-carat diamond recovered at Lulo. The 150 carat diamond was recovered from Mining Block 28 (“MB28”) and is the fifth +100 carat diamond recovered from that particular mining block.

  • Lucapa has released the results of its fourth quarter of activity during the last year. According to a company press release, record volumes were processed last quarter, recovering four +100 carats including several fancy-colored stones valued at over $5.9 US million were set aside for a Lulo exceptional stone tender.

  • Australian miner Lucapa discovered a massive 170ct pink diamond at its Angolan Lulo mine, believed to be the largest pink recovered in the past 300 years. The incredibly rare find is named "The Lulo Rose".

  • The Financial Times reports that the Angolan Government has blocked and taken over the 18% stake of the Chinese company LLI (part of Sonangol) in Catoca. The Government now holds 59% of shares in Angola’s largest mine through IGAPE, the state body managing govt shareholding in companies active in the country. The move is considered another step in President Lourenço’s reform policy, reducing the interdependence with China that was established under the Dos Santos regime, when deals between Angola and China, especially in the oil business, were booming.

  • Iconic diamond miner De Beers this week now officially returns to Angola, as the Anglo American diamond mining division signed two mineral investment deals with the State's mining entity Endiama, giving the miner exploration rights for 35 years in the Northeast of the country. Each exploration concession will have a separate joint venture, with the majority of shares held by De Beers, with an option for Endiama to increase it's share.

  • Lucapa, Endiama and Rosas & Petalas announced the sale of 6 exceptional Lulo diamonds, weighing 336 carats, for a total sales price of US$12.8 million, representing an average price of US$38,006/carat.

    The four large, top-quality white diamonds and two fancy pink diamonds were recovered from the Lulo alluvial mine in Angola and sold in Luanda via international tender by Sodiam E.P, the Angolan State Diamond Marketing Company.