In a market defined by more selective consumers, Sherry Smith shares why execution will be independent jewelers’ key to growth this year.
Lesotho mine yields 23-carat pink diamond
Storm Mountain Diamonds unearthed a 23.82-carat pink diamond from its Kao mine in the Kingdom of Lesotho, and said it will put the stone up for sale this month.

London--Storm Mountain Diamonds unearthed a 23.82-carat pink diamond from its Kao mine in the Kingdom of Lesotho, and said it will put the stone up for sale this month.
Dubbed the “Lesotho Storm,” Fusion/Hennig Tenders will offer the diamond for sale in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Antwerp between Sept. 21 and Oct. 7. Storm Mountain Diamonds did not respond when asked for an estimated sale price for the stone.
The nearly 24-carat pink stone will be offered alongside two large yellow diamonds weighing 51 and 35 carats and more than 30,000 carats of run-of-mine production.
The recovery of the Lesotho Storm follows Storm Mountain Diamonds’ earlier discovery of a 36.06-carat pink diamond it dubbed the “Pink Storm,” also found at the Kao mine.
Storm Mountain is a wholly owned subsidiary of Namakwa Diamonds, and owns and operates 63 percent of the Kao mine, which is in Lesotho, a small kingdom located entirely within South Africa.
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