By Amin Kef (Ranger)
The Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources, Julius Daniel Mattai, has unveiled a remarkable 391-carat diamond recovered by Meya Mining Company in the Kono District. The impressive stone was extracted on August 20, 2024, using the company’s Tomra Coarse XRT sorter at the Meya River Underground Mine in Tankoro Chiefdom, located in the Eastern region of Sierra Leone.
The 391-carat diamond, described as a near-gem piece, was initially part of a larger stone estimated to be over 500 carats. Just a day after the initial discovery, two additional diamonds weighing 105 and 18 carats were recovered from the same area, underscoring the rich potential of the mining site.
The diamonds were unearthed during underground stoping operations at depths ranging from 279 to 295 meters above mean sea level. The discovery took place within the same geological zone where the famous 476-carat “Meya Prosperity” diamond was found in November 2017. That stone, a Type IIa D-color diamond, was sold to GRAFF for a staggering $16.5 million, further enhancing Sierra Leone’s reputation as a significant player in the global diamond market.
Experts note that the newly discovered 391-carat diamond and the 476-carat “Meya Prosperity” stone are located vertically within the same zone, just 100 meters apart, indicating the area’s potential for future high-value finds.
The discovery of this diamond reinforces Sierra Leone’s standing as a major diamond producer and highlights the continued potential of the Kono District for yielding valuable gemstones.
