The largest diamond found in more than a century has been unearthed at a mine in Botswana. The country’s president, Mokgweetsi Masisi, showcased the diamond at a viewing ceremony on Thursday, August 22.
Weighing approximately 2,492 carats, the diamond is the second-largest ever discovered in a mine and the largest found since 1905. It weighs around half a kilogram. The presentation took place at the Botswana President’s office, where Masisi was among the first to hold the diamond.
Officials noted that it is too early to determine its value or the method of sale. For reference, a smaller diamond from the same mine was sold for $63 million in 2016, setting a record for a rough gem.
Naseem Lahri, the Botswana managing director for Lucara Diamond Corp., the Canadian mining company that found the diamond, remarked, “This is history in the making. I am very proud. It is a product of Botswana.”
Lucara Diamond Corp. announced on Wednesday, August 21, that the “exceptional” rough diamond was recovered from its Karowe Mine in central Botswana using X-ray technology designed to locate large diamonds. Lucara President and CEO William Lamb expressed excitement about the discovery, stating, “We are ecstatic about the recovery of this extraordinary 2,492-carat diamond.”
The diamond’s size makes it the largest found in 119 years and the second-largest ever unearthed, following the Cullinan Diamond discovered in South Africa in 1905. The Cullinan weighed 3,106 carats and was cut into gems, some of which are part of the British Crown Jewels.
