A massive rough diamond weighing 2,492 carats, the second-largest ever discovered, has been unearthed in Botswana at the Karowe mine, owned by Canadian company Lucara Diamond.
This remarkable find is surpassed only by the 3,106-carat Cullinan diamond found in South Africa in 1905, which was later cut into nine stones, many now part of the British Crown Jewels.
The diamond was discovered approximately 500km (300 miles) north of Botswana’s capital, Gaborone.
According to Botswana’s government, this is the largest diamond ever found in the southern African nation. The previous record in Botswana was a 1,758-carat diamond, also discovered at the Karowe mine in 2019.
Botswana is a major player in the global diamond industry, producing around 20% of the world’s diamonds.
Lucara Diamond’s head, William Lamb, expressed the company’s excitement, stating, “We are ecstatic about the recovery of this extraordinary 2,492-carat diamond.”
The stone was detected using Lucara’s Mega Diamond Recovery X-ray technology, which has been in use since 2017 to identify and preserve high-value diamonds during the ore-crushing process.
Lucara did not disclose the gem quality or value of the newly discovered diamond. Previous significant finds at the Karowe mine include the 1,758-carat stone purchased by French fashion house Louis Vuitton and a 1,109-carat diamond bought for $53 million by London jeweler Laurence Graff in 2017.
Lucara owns 100% of the Karowe mine. Last month, Reuters reported that Botswana’s government is considering legislation that would require companies, once licensed to mine, to sell a 24% stake to local firms if the government does not opt to become a shareholder.
Source-BBC
