Mining officials at Meya Mine are celebrating the discovery of a 391.45-carat Type IIa diamond, the second-largest gem ever recovered from the deposit. However, the excitement was tempered by the revelation that the stone was part of a much larger diamond weighing 514.99 carats, which unfortunately fractured into three pieces during extraction. The other fragments weigh 105.43 carats and 18.11 carats.

Jan Joubert, CEO of Meya Mining, expressed both pride in the discovery and concern over the breakage. "Our priority now is to ensure that going forward, we can recover these high-value stones intact," Joubert stated. "We will work closely with our engineering and processing partners to upgrade the plant, eliminate breakages, and increase its capacity to recover exceptionally large diamonds."

This isn't the first time Meya Mine has encountered such an issue. In November 2017, the company unearthed a 523.44-carat Type IIa diamond, which also broke into three pieces, with the largest fragment weighing 476.98 carats.

Julius Daniel Mattai, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources, expressed optimism about the discovery. "I hope this recovery will once again alert the world to Sierra Leone's mineral resource potential and engender renewed interest in investing in the country’s mining sector," Mattai said.

The discovery of this significant diamond highlights the ongoing potential of Sierra Leone's mineral-rich lands and reinforces the need for advanced extraction techniques to preserve the integrity of these valuable stones.