The world’s second-largest diamond has been discovered at a mine in Botswana, according to an announcement by Canadian mining company Lucara Diamond Corp. on Thursday. The massive 2,492-carat diamond was unearthed at the Karowe Diamond Mine in northeastern Botswana, utilizing advanced x-ray detection technology. Lucara has not yet disclosed the diamond’s value or quality, but it is the second-largest diamond ever found, surpassed only by the 3,016-carat Cullinan Diamond discovered in South Africa in 1905.
Lucara President William Lamb expressed excitement about the find, calling it an extraordinary discovery. The diamond, roughly the size of a human palm, is described as “one of the largest rough diamonds ever unearthed.” The company employed its Mega Diamond Recovery X-ray technology, installed in 2017, to identify and preserve large, high-value diamonds. Botswana’s President Mokgweetsi Masisi was scheduled to view the diamond later on Thursday, and the government has confirmed its status as the second-largest diamond in the world.
Read More: Gold prices rise again in Pakistan
Tobias Kormind, managing director of Europe’s largest online diamond jeweler, 77 Diamonds, noted that this discovery is the largest rough diamond found since the Cullinan Diamond. He attributed the find to newer technology that allows larger diamonds to be extracted without breaking into pieces, suggesting that more significant discoveries may follow.
Botswana is a leading diamond producer, with diamonds contributing 30% to the country’s GDP and 80% to its exports. The previous largest diamond discovered in Botswana was a 1,758-carat stone named Sewelo, found by Lucara at the same mine in 2019. In 2021, Lucara also discovered a 1,174-carat diamond in Botswana using similar x-ray technology.
