Misfits Champagne Diamonds From Lesotho
Kao mine
Kao Mine is operated by Storm Mountain Diamonds Ltd (SMD) in the District of Botha Bothe. This is the fourth largest kimberlite pipe in Southern Africa - and the largest kimberlite pipe in Lesotho - from a coverage perspective at 19.8 hectares, with an indicated and inferred resource base of 12.7 million carats. Kao’s pipe has been explored and confirmed to a depth of 500m. The mine has approximately 18 years of operation left.
A deposit with exceptional prospects, Kao yields rare coloured diamonds ranging from purple, pink, blue, yellow and top light brown to the classic whites. The blues, pinks and the purples tend to be the rarest with the exception of red; the rarest of the rare.
SMD has managed to increase its processing capacity by 40% over the past five years. They employ over 700 people and have contributed over 700 million to the Lesotho Government fiscus through taxes and levies.
Diamonds from Kao mine are are sold on tender in Antwerp, through SMD's sales and marketing partners; Bonas Couzyn Antwerpen NV.
Storm Mountain Diamond's Practices
Storm Mountain Diamonds recognizes the importance of engaging and working in collaboration with the communities in which they operate. They continue to play a meaningful role in mine community development, guided by the company’s CSR Policy.
SMD CSR Policy is an integral part of their business strategy and a framework for engaging with local communities and other stakeholders to support sustainable development initiatives, national priorities and international conventions. The company actively engages with local communities to make a positive contribution through sustainable programs. SMD have embarked on extensive initiatives to develop mine communities with the major focus being on:
·Education & training
·Development of sustainable income generating projects
·Support to local businesses
·Community health
·Other projects that are not within the focus areas but benefit the local communities or nation at large.
More information can be found on SMD's website.
From Mine to Polished
Misfit Diamonds worked with its vendors to secure a parcel of diamonds from Kao mine, ensuring that the entire process was documented to establish a transparent, verifiable chain of custody for each stone from its rough state to its final polished form. The rough diamonds were purchased in a closed lot and the weights and stone counts documented in invoices from Bonas Couzyn, and backed up with matching KPC documentation and original invoices from site holder to brokers to our manufacturing partners to Misfit Diamonds. Each diamond's individual rough weight was logged alongside images and videos of every diamond in its raw state through to the final polished forms. The goal is to use this process as the blueprint for what Misfit's sourcing practices will be for all the diamonds in our inventory.
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