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Nearly 22-Carat Pink Diamond Found at Kao Mine
Dubbed the “Pink Palesa,” the stone will be offered for sale next month in Antwerp.
This rough diamond, the 21.86-carat “Pink Palesa,” was recovered from the Kao Mine in Lesotho. It will be on view, and on sale, in July in Antwerp. (Image courtesy of Bonas Group)
Antwerp—The Kao Mine in Lesotho just yielded another sizable pink diamond.
Workers at the diamond mine recovered a “beautiful” 21.86-carat pink diamond on May 18 that’s been dubbed the “Pink Palesa.” Palesa is derived from the local Sesotho word for flower.
Namakwa Diamonds and Storm Mountain Diamonds announced the recovery of, and sale process for, the diamond last week.
Namakwa, which owns the mine in partnership with the government of Lesotho and operates it through Storm Mountain, said the stone will make its way to Antwerp to be part of Kao’s next sale.
The mining company is conducting the sale, Kao-2104, in conjunction with Bonas Group.
Viewings of the diamond will take place in Antwerp from July 12-23, with bidding happening online at KaoBids.com and closing on July 23 at 15:00 CET (9 a.m. EDT).
As is typical for Bonas Group, the company is not sharing any pre-sale estimates for the stone.
Related stories will be right here …
Workers at the diamond mine recovered a “beautiful” 21.86-carat pink diamond on May 18 that’s been dubbed the “Pink Palesa.” Palesa is derived from the local Sesotho word for flower.
Namakwa Diamonds and Storm Mountain Diamonds announced the recovery of, and sale process for, the diamond last week.
Namakwa, which owns the mine in partnership with the government of Lesotho and operates it through Storm Mountain, said the stone will make its way to Antwerp to be part of Kao’s next sale.
The mining company is conducting the sale, Kao-2104, in conjunction with Bonas Group.
Viewings of the diamond will take place in Antwerp from July 12-23, with bidding happening online at KaoBids.com and closing on July 23 at 15:00 CET (9 a.m. EDT).
As is typical for Bonas Group, the company is not sharing any pre-sale estimates for the stone.
The Kao Mine is located in the Butha Buthe District in northern Lesotho.
Over the years, it has produced a number of significant pink diamonds, including the “Lesotho Pink Storm,” which was recovered in December 2013 and sold for about $426,000 a carat ($15.4 million total), and the 29.59-carat “Rose of Kao,” which Taché Company and Samir Gems bought in January 2019 for an undisclosed amount.
Earlier this year, Bonas Group hosted a Kao sale that included another large pink diamond, the 25.97-carat “Pink Dawn.” The stone found a buyer, though Bonas Group declined to disclose the sale price.
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