The second largest diamond ever found – a 2,492 carat rough – was unearthed in Botswana at a mine owned by Canadian company Lucara Diamond.
It is the largest find since the 3,106-carat Cullinan diamond, which was found in South Africa in 1905 and cut into nine individual stones, many of which are in the British Crown Jewels.
The diamond was found at the Karowe mine about 500 kilometers (300 miles) north of Botswana’s capital Gaborone.
The Botswana government said it was the largest diamond ever discovered in the southern African nation.
The largest discovery to date in Botswana was a 1,758-carat stone found in the same mine in 2019.
Botswana is one of the world’s largest diamond producers. They account for around 20% of global production.
In a statement, Lucara said the stone was “one of the largest rough diamonds ever unearthed.”
“We are thrilled with the discovery of this extraordinary 2,492-carat diamond,” said Lucara CEO William Lamb.
The diamond was discovered using Lucara’s Mega Diamond Recovery X-ray technology, Mr Lamb said.
It has been used since 2017 to identify and preserve high-quality diamonds so that they do not break during the ore crushing process.
The company did not provide any information about the gem’s quality or its value.
However, Britain’s Financial Times newspaper reported that people close to Lucara, whom it did not name, had estimated the stone’s value at more than $40 million (£30.6 million).
The 1,758-carat stone, found in 2019, was purchased by French fashion brand Louis Vuitton for an undisclosed amount.
A 1,109-carat diamond unearthed from the same mine in 2016 was purchased for $63 million in 2017 by London jeweler Laurence Graff, chairman of Graff Diamonds.
Lucara is 100 percent owner of the mine in Karowe.
The Botswana government has proposed a law that will require companies, once they have received a mining license, to sell a 24% stake to local firms if the government does not exercise its option to become a shareholder, the reported Reuters news agency last month.
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