Botswana diamond mines map showing major mining areas (Jwaneng, Orapa–Letlhakane–Damtshaa, Karowe, Ghaghoo)

Historic Diamond Fields & Mines in Botswana

Orapa Kimberlite Field — Orapa, Letlhakane & Damtshaa

Botswana’s modern diamond era began with the discovery of the Orapa kimberlite pipe in 1967, leading to the opening of Orapa Mine in 1971. Nearby pipes yielded Letlhakane (opened mid-1970s) and later Damtshaa (brought online in 2003). These operations anchor the Orapa-Letlhakane-Damtshaa cluster and are primary kimberlite mines (not alluvial). In recent years, Letlhakane transitioned to tailings processing and Damtshaa has been on care-and-maintenance. Sources: Debswana Orapa history & facts; MiningDataOnline note on Damtshaa/Letlhakane status; WDC case summary.

Jwaneng — “Prince of Mines”

Discovered in 1972 and opened in 1982, Jwaneng in south-central Botswana is widely regarded as the world’s richest diamond mine by value and remains a national economic pillar. Debswana is advancing plans to take Jwaneng underground to extend mine life. Sources: Debswana Jwaneng page (history/“Prince of Mines”); technical histories and recent reporting on the underground project.

Karowe (AK6) — Lucara’s Large-Stone Producer

Commissioned in 2012 near Letlhakane, Karowe has become synonymous with very large, high-quality diamonds, aided by XRT sorting. Record recoveries include multiple 1,000-carat-class stones and numerous notable gems (see list below), culminating in the 2024 “Motswedi” find—now among the largest rough diamonds ever recorded. Sources: GIA/Lucara releases on Karowe’s large-stone recoveries and technology.

Other Deposits — Ghaghoo (Gope) & Lerala

The Ghaghoo underground mine (Central Kalahari) entered care-and-maintenance in 2017 and has since moved toward final closure amid attempted disposals. The smaller Lerala mine (Tuli Block) saw intermittent production and closed in 2017. Sources: Mmegi (Ghaghoo status); Reuters/Wikipedia (Lerala history).

Unlike many historic diamond regions, Botswana’s production is overwhelmingly from primary kimberlite pipes operated by Debswana (a Botswana Government–De Beers JV) and by Lucara at Karowe. Source: GIA overview of Botswana diamonds.

Botswana’s Most Historic & Largest Diamonds

Motswedi (Karowe)

Rough: 2,488.32 ct (reported 2024), from Karowe’s South Lobe; ranks as the second-largest rough diamond ever authenticated, after the 3,106 ct Cullinan. Sources: GIA research note (2025); further contemporary coverage.



Sewelô (Karowe)

Rough: 1,758 ct, discovered 2019 at Karowe; later the focus of a collaboration with Louis Vuitton and HB Antwerp for planning and polishing. Source: Lucara news release (2020 collaboration announcement).

Lesedi La Rona (Karowe)

Rough: 1,109 ct, recovered Nov. 2015 at Karowe; sold in 2017 to Graff for US$53M. The principal polished stone, the Graff Lesedi La Rona, weighs 302.37 ct (D-color) and is the world’s largest square emerald-cut diamond. Sources: Lucara sale release (2017); Graff reveal (2019).

LESEDI LA RONA Diamond

Constellation (Karowe)

Rough: 813 ct, recovered 2015 at Karowe; sold for US$63.1M in 2016—a record price for a rough diamond at the time. Sources: Lucara press (2016); National Jeweler recap.

Jwaneng 1,098-carat (Debswana)

Rough: 1,098 ct, discovered June 1, 2021 at Debswana’s Jwaneng mine; one of the largest gem-quality rough diamonds ever recovered. Source: Reuters (2021 announcement).

Okavango Blue (Orapa → ODC)

Cut weight: 20.46 ct, Fancy Deep Blue, Type IIb (VVS2), cut from a 41.11 ct rough recovered at Orapa in 2018 and unveiled by Okavango Diamond Company in 2019; later exhibited at the American Museum of Natural History. Sources: Rapaport (2019 unveiling); Debswana history note; NaturalDiamond.com profile.



Summary

Since the late 1960s, Botswana’s diamond story has been defined by kimberlite pipes—first at Orapa–Letlhakane–Damtshaa, then at Jwaneng, and, in the past decade, by Karowe’s extraordinary large-stone recoveries. These mines propelled Botswana to the top tier of global diamond producers by value and yielded some of the world’s most important gems, from the 1,109 ct Lesedi La Rona and 1,758 ct Sewelô to the deep-blue Okavango Blue—and the 2,488 ct Motswedi, one of the largest rough diamonds ever recorded. Primary references: Debswana histories; Lucara releases; GIA/NaturalDiamond Council coverage.

For information on famous diamonds, visit our Diamond Page.

Datasets: U.S. Geological Survey, Major Mineral Deposits of the World, Open-File Report 2005-1294. Data portal