Gem Diamonds' Let??eng Mine Yields 13ct. Pink

RAPAPORT... Gem Diamonds has recovered a high-quality, 13.33-carat pinkdiamond in Lesotho. The type I diamond was unearthed earlier this month at its Let??eng mine, and isthe first stone above 10.8 carats the company has reported this year. It is the largest pink diamond the miner hasrecovered since 2011, when it retrieved a 30.68-carat stone. In December it founda pink stone weighing 8.53 carats. "This is lookinglike an extremely high-quality diamond...so it will be interesting to seewhat price per carat it achieves at the next tender in March," the company told Rapaport News Wednesday.The company is known for its ability to retrieve diamonds weighingmore than 100 carats. Last year, it produced a record 15 stones of thatmagnitude, including the 910-carat Lesotho Legend, which it sold last March for$40 million. Gem Diamonds owns a 70% stake in the Let??eng mine, with theLesotho government holding the remaining 30%.Image: The 13.33-carat pink diamond. (Gem Diamonds)