Enormous 391.45-Carat Diamond Discovered in Sierra Leone

August 30, 2024

A remarkable 391.45-carat diamond has been uncovered at the Meya mine in Sierra Leone’s Kono district, according to the country's National Minerals Agency. This exceptional stone, classified as a Type IIa diamond, was originally part of a larger 514.99-carat gem that split into three pieces during extraction.

This is the second major discovery at the Meya mine, following the recovery of a 476.98-carat diamond in 2017, which was later sold to luxury jeweler Graff for $16.5 million.

Jan Joubert, CEO of Meya Mining, noted the rarity of such large diamonds, stating that only four mines worldwide occasionally recover diamonds exceeding 500 carats. Joubert expressed optimism about future finds, revealing that Meya has processed only 84,195 tonnes of kimberlite so far. He believes there is a strong likelihood of discovering more and potentially larger diamonds as the mine progresses toward full production.

Meya Mining, now 70% owned by Sterling Global Trading after a $50 million deal with Trustco Group last year, plans to use the funds from the transaction to boost production. The deal included a $25 million cash payout and a $25 million loan aimed at enhancing output from the mine.