The diamond is the largest to be mined at Karowe to date and weighs close to 352g. Detailed analysis is ongoing.
Since introducing Tomra XRT technology as the primary recovery tool to the mine in 2015, it has delivered excellent results. In less than four years, Tomra XRT has recovered two diamonds greater than 1,000ct. Tomra stated that this record-breaking recovery further highlights the success of Tomra sorting technology, which has detected four of the top-10 largest diamonds in the world to date.
Geoffrey Madderson, diamond segment manager for Tomra Sorting Mining, commented: "As the largest diamond ever recovered by a mechanical process, it reinforces the unparalleled value XRT offers kimberlite and diamond mining companies. Lucara's innovative strategy in combination with Tomra's world-class sensor technology has once again proved an enormous success."
In addition to the XRT circuit at Karowe, Tomra currently operates XRT and other advanced optical sorting equipment in Russia, Canada, Brazil and other countries around the world.
