Lucapa to Shed Stake in Lesotho Diamond Mine
The mining company wants to divest its 70 percent holding in the Mothae Diamond Mine in an effort to streamline its portfolio.
Lucapa Diamond Co. Ltd. announced Wednesday that it is looking to offload its stake in the Mothae Diamond Mine, which is 70 percent owned by Lucapa and 30 percent owned by the Lesotho government.
Located in the country’s Maluti Mountains, Mothae is an open-pit mine that began commercial operations in 2019.
It is known for producing large high-value diamonds that, according to Lucapa, command the second-highest dollar-per-carat price for kimberlite diamonds worldwide.
In addition to Mothae, Lucapa holds a 40 percent stake in the Lulo alluvial diamond mine in Angola, with the remaining 60 percent split between state-owned Endiama and Rosas & Petalas, a private company.
Lucapa also has the Merlin Diamond Project in Australia’s Northern Territory, where it is conducting feasibility studies, and is exploring for diamonds in Botswana and Western Australia.
“On review, it is clear the company should streamline the portfolio to focus on our core assets in Africa and Australia,” said Lucapa Chairman Stuart Brown.
“The company’s collaboration with the Lesotho government on the Mothae Diamond Mine has been rewarding and our management has worked exceptionally well to optimize the plant to recover large diamonds. We expect there will be significant interest from those within the diamond industry and on a wider scale.”
The Lucapa board said the divestment process is a priority and it plans to update the market in the coming weeks.
The company is finalizing a data room that contains information about Mothae for parties that are interested in purchasing its stake in the mine.
Lucapa’s announcement about its intentions for Mothae came the same week that one of the world’s largest mining companies, Anglo American, also announced plans to streamline its business by divesting.
Anglo is looking to sell off four of its businesses, including De Beers Group and Anglo American Platinum.
The Latest
The auction house was accused of helping clients avoid paying taxes on millions of dollars’ worth of art purchased from 2010 to 2020.
The four finalists will present their pieces at the 2025 JCK Las Vegas show.
The “Camera Oscura” collection showcases earring designs celebrating female Surrealist artists Claude Cahun and Leonor Fini.
From protecting customer data to safeguarding inventory records, it's crucial to learn how to tackle cybersecurity challenges.
The money will fund the planting of 10,000 trees in critical areas across Oregon, Arizona, Montana, and other regions.
The event centered on advancing jewelry manufacturing technology will return to Detroit in May 2025.
Local reports identified the woman as the wife of the jewelry store owner.
This fall, sharpen your skills in jewelry grading, quality control and diamond assessment.
A collection of pieces owned by Ferdinand I, the first king of modern Bulgaria, and his family, blew away estimates in Geneva last week.
The Australian jewelry box brand’s new West Village store will showcase new jewelers each month through its Designer in Residence program.
“Lovechild” was created in partnership with Carolyn Rafaelian’s Metal Alchemist brand.
Hampton discussed how Helzberg is improving the customer experience and why it was inspired by the company formerly known as Dunkin’ Donuts.
The group will host several curated events and an exhibition of designer jewelry made with Peruvian gold traceable to the miners’ names.
The collection honors the 50th anniversary of Dolly Parton’s “Love is Like a Butterfly” song, which shares a birth year with Kendra Scott.
This year’s theme asks designers to take inspiration from classic fairy tales.
Senior Editor Lenore Fedow makes the case for why more jewelers should be appealing to nerds at the annual event.
The latest “Raiz’in” drop showcases a newly designed “Scapular” necklace and donates a portion of the proceeds to Make-A-Wish France.
No. 1 out of 100, the timepiece was created to mark Citizen’s 100th anniversary and will be auctioned off at Sotheby’s next month.
On the latest episode of “My Next Question,” two experts share best practices for store security during the holidays and year-round.
Sotheby’s sold the necklace, which potentially has ties to Marie-Antoinette, for $4.8 million to a woman bidding via phone.
Instead of its usual elaborate display, the store will illuminate its façade and frame the windows to highlight its flagship’s architecture.
The new Grand Seiko boutique is located in Honolulu’s Waikiki neighborhood.
The emerald brooch-turned-pendant returned to auction after 55 years, setting a world record for most expensive emerald sold at auction.
Phillips also sold a 1.21-carat fancy red diamond dubbed the “Red Miracle” for more than $1 million at its jewelry auction in Geneva.
From Swarovski to Tiffany & Co., jewelry retailers are enlisting celebrities to highlight their holiday offerings.
The 2024-2025 book introduces hundreds of new designs.
Richemont’s jewelry sales ticked up 2 percent in the first half of the year, while watch sales plummeted 17 percent.