A colossal 2,492-carat raw diamond has been unearthed in Botswana, potentially making it the second-largest gem-quality diamond ever discovered.
Lucara Diamond Corp, the Canadian company operating the Karowe diamond mine, announced the remarkable find, sharing an image of the massive rough diamond nestled in a hand.
The largest gem-quality diamond on record remains the 3,106-carat Cullinan diamond, discovered in South Africa in 1905 during British rule. The Cullinan was later gifted to King Edward VII and subsequently cut into several gems, some of which are now part of the British Crown Jewels.
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Lucara’s president, William Lamb, expressed excitement over the discovery, saying, “We are thrilled with the recovery of this extraordinary 2,492-carat diamond.”
While Lucara has yet to disclose the value of the high-quality diamond or whether it will be cut into gemstones, Botswana’s government confirmed this is the largest diamond ever found in the country.
The Karowe mine has a history of yielding large stones, including the 1,758-carat Sewelo diamond in 2019, which was then the world’s second-largest mined diamond. French luxury brand Louis Vuitton purchased the Sewelo diamond for an undisclosed amount, despite its black appearance and the uncertainty regarding how many gems it could produce.
In 2017, the 1,111-carat Lesedi La Rona diamond, also from the Karowe mine, was sold to a British jeweler for $53 million (£40 million).
The largest diamond ever found globally is the black Sergio stone, discovered in Brazil in 1895. This black “carbonado” diamond, believed to be a fragment of a meteorite, was cut into pieces for industrial use.
Though Russia is currently the world’s largest diamond producer, Botswana has emerged as a leading source of significant finds in recent years. The southern African nation has been strengthening its position in the diamond industry, negotiating a larger share of the stones mined by De Beers, owned by Anglo-American, in a new 10-year agreement last year.
Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi is expected to be among the first to view Lucara’s newly discovered diamond, which remains unnamed, before its official public unveiling, according to government sources.
