Second Largest Diamond Ever Found In Botswana — All You Need To Know
Botswana is considered one of the biggest diamond producers globally and contributes 20% of global production.
Canadian firm Lucara Diamond has unearthed the second-largest diamond ever found—a 2,492-carat stone—at a mine in Botswana.
The diamond was discovered from the Karowe Diamond Mine, located 500km north of Botswana's capital, Gaborone. Experts are yet to assess the stone and confirm its quality, Bloomberg reported.
This is one of the largest rough diamonds that the company has detected and recovered through Mega Diamond Recovery (MDR) X-ray Transmission (XRT) technology. The technology has been used since 2017 to identify and preserve large and high-value diamonds.
President and CEO of Lucara, William Lamb said, "We are ecstatic about the recovery of this extraordinary 2,492-carat diamond. This find not only showcases the remarkable potential of our Karowe Mine but also upholds our strategic investment in cutting-edge XRT technology. The ability to recover such a massive, high-quality stone intact demonstrates the effectiveness of our approach to diamond recovery and our commitment to maximizing value for our shareholders and stakeholders."
He further added that this discovery strengthens Karowe's status as a world-class diamond mine.
Botswana is considered one of the biggest diamond producers globally and contributes 20% of global production.
The last biggest diamond was found in 1905 in South Africa. It was a 3,106-carat Cullinan diamond with nine separate stones, a few of which are in the British crown jewels.
Karowe mine is known for its giant stone discoveries and two of the most prized stones. In 2015, the 1,109-carat Lesedi La Rona, which was then considered to be the second-largest diamond, was excavated from here. It was sold at $53 million. An 813-carat stone was also found here, which was sold for $63 million.
Lucara has yielded this diamond at a challenging time as there is a decline in diamond prices across the globe.
