Letseng diamond mine

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The Letseng diamond mine found in the mountain kingdom of Lesotho, and owned by Gem Diamonds and the government of Lesotho is the world's highest-altitude (3.1km) diamond mine.

It is characterised by extremely low grade (<2ct/ hundred tons)and is well known for producing huge diamonds, having the highest percentage of large diamonds (>10 carats), giving it the highest dollar ratio per carat of any diamond mine. The world average is roughly US$70/carat, while Letseng during 2004 averaged over US$1,000/carat.

On the 4th of October 2006 the 603 carat white diamond, the Lesotho Promise was unearthed, and is the largest reported find this century and the 15th largest diamond ever found. The stone is an exceptional colour, rated D, the top colour for diamonds.

Previously the largest diamond found at Letseng was the 601 carat Lesotho Brown, recovered in 1967.

Unusually for Africa, the mine reaches temperatures of up to -20 degrees C, and snowfalls are common in winter.

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