Botswana, a country in southern Africa, has unearthed the largest diamond discovered in over a century at a mine in the region. The President of Botswana showcased the fist-sized gemstone to the world during a viewing ceremony on Thursday, August 22.
The Botswana government announced that this massive diamond, weighing 2,492 carats, is the second-largest diamond ever mined and the largest diamond found since 1905.
According to reports from the Associated Press, the yet-to-be-named diamond made its debut in the office of Botswana’s President, Mokgweetsi Masisi. Masisi, one of the few distinguished guests given the privilege to personally admire this gem, expressed his astonishment, exclaiming, “It’s truly awe-inspiring. Witnessing this during my term is incredibly fortunate.” He marveled at the stone and invited senior officials to join him in closely inspecting it.
The diamond was discovered by the Canadian mining company Lucara Diamond. Naseem Lahri, the company’s CEO in Botswana, stated that this diamond “is making history” and expressed deep honor, calling it a source of pride for Botswana.
Officials have yet to evaluate the diamond’s value or determine how it will be sold. Another smaller diamond from the same mine in Botswana was sold in 2016 for $63 million, setting a record for the sale price of a rough diamond.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Lucara announced the discovery of this “extraordinary” natural diamond at its Karowe mine in central Botswana. The company described the gem as “high-quality” and intact when found, utilizing X-ray technology designed to locate large, high-value diamonds.
William Lamb, the President and CEO of Lucara, expressed immense excitement in a statement, saying, “The discovery of this astonishing 2,492-carat diamond has left us incredibly thrilled.”
The weight of this diamond is second only to the Cullinan Diamond discovered in South Africa in 1905. The largest diamond found to date, the Cullinan Diamond, weighed 3,106 carats and was later cut into multiple gemstones, some of which are now part of the British royal crown jewels.
Botswana, a country in southern Africa with a population of 2.6 million people, is one of the world’s largest diamond-producing countries. According to data from GlobalData, this country in southern Africa accounted for 20% of global diamond production last year. Diamonds are a major source of revenue, constituting 30% of the GDP and 80% of exports.
In recent years, Botswana’s Karowe mine has continuously unearthed world-class giant diamonds. In addition to this recent discovery, three diamonds weighing over 1,000 carats have been found in the past decade.
The Sewelo diamond, discovered in 2019, was previously recognized as the world’s second-largest mined diamond, weighing 1,758 carats. It was eventually purchased by the French fashion brand Louis Vuitton, and the amount remains undisclosed.
The Lesedi La Rona diamond weighing 1,111 carats was bought by a British jeweler in 2017 for $53 million. Another notable diamond is The Constellation, mentioned earlier, which was sold for $63 million, setting a record.
Scientists note that most diamonds have a history of at least 1 billion years, with some even exceeding 3 billion years.