The second largest diamond ever found – a tough stone weighing 2,492 carats – was unearthed from a mine owned by Canadian firm Lucara Diamond in Botswana.
It’s the largest discovery because the 3,106-carat Cullinan diamond found in South Africa in 1905, which was minimize into 9 separate gem stones, lots of that are set within the British Crown Jewels.
The diamond was found on the Karowe mine, about 500 kilometers (300 miles) north of Botswana’s capital, Gaborone.
The federal government of Botswana says it’s the largest diamond ever found within the southern African nation.
Botswana’s earlier largest discovery was a 1,758-carat gem discovered on the similar mine in 2019.
Botswana is without doubt one of the largest diamond producers on this planet, Roughly 20% of world manufacturing.
Lucara mentioned in an announcement that the diamond was “one of many largest tough diamonds ever unearthed.”
“We’re ecstatic in regards to the restoration of this extraordinary 2,492-carat diamond,” mentioned Lucara Director William Lamb.
Mr Lamb mentioned the diamond was detected utilizing Lucara’s Mega Diamond Restoration X-ray know-how.
Since 2017, it has been used to determine and protect high-value diamonds, guaranteeing they don’t shatter in the course of the ore crushing course of.
The corporate didn’t disclose particulars in regards to the stone’s gem high quality or its worth.
Nevertheless, the Monetary Instances stories that unnamed folks near Lucara estimate the gem could possibly be value greater than $40 million (£30.6 million).
The 1,758-carat gem was found in 2019 and bought by French trend home Louis Vuitton for an undisclosed worth.
In 2016, a 1,109-carat diamond was unearthed from the identical mine and bought in 2017 by Laurence Graff, a London jeweler and chairman of Graff Diamonds, for $53 million. diamond.
Lukla owns 100% of the Kaloway mine.
Reuters reported final month that Botswana’s authorities has proposed a regulation that will require firms that obtain a mining license to promote 24% of their shares to native firms if the federal government doesn’t train its choice to turn out to be a shareholder.
