Our Customers 

Diamonds recovered at Letšeng are currently not sold locally. Letšeng Diamonds has contracted GEM Diamonds Marketing Services in Antwerp, Belgium for marketing and sales. Those interested in buying the diamonds, please contact Gem Diamonds Marketing Services BVBA, Kneller Building, Hoveniersstraat 50-52, 2018 Antwerp, Belgium. Phone: +32 3 203 4080.

 

Know Your Diamonds: The Four C’s Colour 

Colour

When rating the colour of a diamond, jewellers commonly use the letters D through Z. The rating D represents a colourless diamond; the rating Z has a yellow or brownish hue. As a rule, the closer a diamond is to colourless, the more valuable and beautiful it is.

Cut 

Many people make the mistake of thinking that cut means the shape of the diamond. The cut refers to the well-proportioned facets manufactured in the stone. A well-cut diamond – regardless of its shape – sparkles and offers the greatest brilliance. If a stone is cut poorly, it will appear less valuable because it lacks sparkle, brilliance and beauty. Some cutters will sacrifice cut to create the largest possible diamond, thus making it too shallow or too deep of a cut and causing light to ‘leak’ out the sides and bottom of the diamond. The cut is graded Ideal, Premium, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor. Generally, you should seek an Ideal to Very Good diamond.

Clarity 

Clarity is an indication of a diamond’s purity. Diamonds frequently have inclusions, or small flaws, air bubbles, scratches, or other minerals inside the diamond. The fewer inclusions there are in a diamond, the more valuable and beautiful it is.

Carat 

Carat refers to the weight and therefore the size of a diamond. A carat is the equivalent of 200 milligrams, with one hundred points each. For example, a diamond that is a 1/2 carat can also be referred to as a 50-point diamond. But bigger isn’t necessarily better. A two-carat diamond that is cut poorly is not nearly as beautiful as a smaller diamond, cut by a skilled diamond artisan. Or, it may be cut well, but have poor colour and clarity.

 

Our Diamonds-Five of the Best 

The Lesotho Legend (910ct)-It was recovered in January 2018. The Lesotho Legend is currently ranked as the world’s 10th-largest rough diamond on record and the largest diamond to emerge from the Letšeng Diamond Mine to date. The Lesotho Legend was sold to Antwerp-based diamond supplier Samir Gems and other partners for US$40 million in March 2018.

The Lesotho Promise (603ct)-It was recovered in August 2006. The Lesotho Promise is currently ranked as the world’s 23rd-largest rough diamond on record and the largest diamond to emerge from the Letšeng mine to date. The Lesotho Promise was sold for US$12.4 million to SAFDICO, the manufacturing arm of Graff Jewellers, at an auction in Antwerp in October 2006. The Lesotho Promise was subsequently polished into 26 D flawless diamonds, the largest of which was a 76.4-carat pear-shaped diamond. The diamonds were fashioned into a single necklace that was expected to sell for more than US$50 million.

The Letšeng Star (550ct)-It was recovered from the Letšeng mine on 19 August 2011 and named in a gala evening held in Maseru, the capital of the Kingdom of Lesotho on 19 September. The name was given to signify the growing number of “stars” in Letšeng’s growing constellation of large diamonds recovered. The Letšeng Star is currently ranked as the 31st-largest rough diamond on record and the third-largest white diamond to be recovered at Letšeng.

The Letšeng Legacy (493ct)-It is currently ranked as the 34th-largest rough diamond ever recovered and was named to reflect the growing legacy that the Letšeng Diamond Mine in Lesotho is creating as a producer of significant diamonds. This remarkable 493-carat diamond, recovered in September 2007, was sold at an auction in Antwerp to SAFDICO, the manufacturing arm of Graff Jewellers, for US$10.4 million in November 2007.

The Light of Letšeng (478ct)-The Leseli La Letšeng, which means Light of Letšeng, is a 478 carat D colour white diamond that was recovered from the Letšeng mine in Lesotho in September 2008. The name reflects the diamond’s remarkable colour and clarity, the highest possible qualities for a white diamond. The diamond is currently ranked as the 36th-largest rough diamond ever to be recovered and was the third significant recovery from Letšeng. The Light of Letšeng was sold on tender in Antwerp in November 2008 for US$18.4 million, to SAFDICO, the manufacturing arm of Graff Diamonds. The price represented an extraordinary price per carat of US$38 400, against the global average diamond price of US$90 per carat.