Lucara Diamond Announces Name of 1,111-carat Gem

Lucara Diamond Corp. (TSX:LUC) announced the wining entry for a naming contest for the 1,111-carat gem it recovered in November 2015. The stone has been named “Lesedi La Rona,” which means “our light.”
As quoted in the press release:

The winner of the competition is Thembani Moitlhobogi who will receive a prize of 25,000 Pula.
On January 18, 2016 the Company launched a competition to name this spectacular Type IIa diamond, the biggest diamond ever recovered in Botswana and the second largest ever found in the world. The competition was open to all Botswana citizens including the Company’s Batswana employees. Entrants were invited to submit their suggested name and their rationale for their choice. More than 11,000 entries were received. To ensure transparency and independence during the name selection process, the audit firm of Ernst & Young were retained to oversee the competition. The judging panel consisted of a total of five executives from both Lucara and the Karowe mine. Entries were submitted to the judging panel on an anonymous basis with Ernst & Young retrieving the winner’s name after the panel had selected the winning name for the diamond.

William Lamb, president and CEO of Lucara, commented:

The outpouring of pride and patriotism shown by all the participants in the contest was incredible. The diamond industry has played a vital role in the country’s development, allowing for significant and ongoing investment in world-class healthcare, education and infrastructure. “Lesedi La Rona” symbolizes the pride and history of the people of Botswana.

Click here to read the full Lucara Diamond Corp. (TSX:LUC) press release.