Maseru: Firestone Diamonds said the construction of its 75 percent-owned Liqhobong diamond mine in Lesotho is now 100 percent complete.
Company chief executive Stuart Brown said they were currently in the commissioning and ramp up stage of the project. The processing of lower grade stockpiles and diluted ore in the quarter produced 58,000 carats at a grade of 14.4 carats per hundred tonnes.
It also recovered more than 20 special stones larger than 10.8 carats, with the largest being a 37 carat white diamond, as well as several fancy yellow diamonds Its cash on hand was $4 million with $14 million available under the ABSA debt facility and a further $15 million available under the standby facility.
Meanwhile, Firestone’s first sale of Liqhobong diamonds was scheduled for 6 to 10 February in Antwerp, Belgium.
