By Amin Kef (Ranger)
In a major announcement made on August 26, 2024, the Ministry of Mines and Mineral Resources, alongside the National Minerals Agency, revealed the recovery of a remarkable 391.45-carat diamond from the Meya Mine in Kono District, Eastern Sierra Leone. This exceptional diamond was unearthed on August 20, 2024, marking the second extraordinary discovery from the Meya River kimberlite domain, one of 16 kimberlite zones targeted within the mining license area.
This discovery follows the 2017 recovery of a 476-carat Type IIa diamond, known as the Meya Prosperity, during the initial bulk sampling program. That earlier find stemmed from a 523.44-carat diamond, which was divided into three segments: 476.98 carats, 27.89 carats and 18.58 carats. Similarly, the recently recovered stone was originally a 514.99-carat diamond that was split into three pieces, yielding 391.53 carats, 105.43 carats and 18.11 carats.
Geologically, the recovery of another large, superdeep Type IIa diamond is noteworthy. According to Casey Hetman of SRK Consulting, these diamonds originate from the earth’s lower mantle, approximately 750 kilometers beneath the surface—much deeper than most natural diamonds, which form at depths of 150 to 250 kilometers. The diamonds at Meya are less likely to be fragmented by explosive forces during their ascent, as they are emplaced within dykes, rather than pipes, preserving their integrity.
The Company’s specialized processing plant, designed by Consulmet of South Africa and equipped with cutting-edge technology from Tomra Sorting Solutions in Germany, was instrumental in recovering this stone. Jan Joubert, CEO of Meya Mining, emphasized the rarity of such finds, noting, “Only four mines globally occasionally recover diamonds over 500 carats. The fact that Meya has found two such diamonds from just 84,195 tonnes of kimberlite suggests significant potential as we scale up to steady-state production of 500,000 tonnes annually. Our focus now is on upgrading the plant to minimize breakages and enhance recovery of these high-value stones intact.”
This marks the sixth time an exceptional diamond has been discovered in the region, underscoring Sierra Leone’s status as a key source of some of the world’s largest diamonds. Since 1945, six of the largest diamonds globally have been recovered from Sierra Leone, including the 770-carat Woyie Diamond (1945), the 620-carat Sefadu Diamond (1970), the 969-carat Star of Sierra Leone (1973), the 709-carat Peace Diamond (2017), the 476-carat Meya Prosperity (2017) and now the 391-carat discovery.
Reacting to the news, Julius Daniel Mattai, Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources, expressed optimism that this discovery will renew international interest in the country’s mining potential. “The recovery of the 391-carat diamond reaffirms Sierra Leone’s immense mineral resource potential. I am particularly pleased with the transparent approach taken by Meya Mining to determine the market value of this stone, ensuring that economic benefits are equitably shared among all stakeholders,” the Minister stated.
This discovery once again places Sierra Leone in the spotlight as a premier source of exceptional diamonds, reinforcing the country’s reputation on the global stage.
