This precious gem, found at the Karowe mine in northeastern Botswana, the largest diamond producer in Africa, is described by Lucara, the company that made the discovery, as “one of the largest rough diamonds ever found.”
According to the Botswana government and many experts, this is the second-largest diamond ever discovered on Earth. It is not far in carat weight from the most famous diamond, the Cullinan, which weighs over 3,100 carats and was found in South Africa in 1905.
“We are thrilled to have discovered this remarkable diamond,” said William Lamb, CEO of Lucara, as noted in the press release. However, no details about the diamond’s value or quality were provided.
The diamond is expected to be presented to President Mokgweetsi Masisi and journalists in Gaborone later. The president highlights it as the largest diamond ever found in Botswana.
“This historic discovery of this rough diamond, the most significant in 120 years, is exciting,” said Tobias Kormind, Managing Director of 77 Diamonds, Europe’s largest online jeweler.
According to Kormind, this large precious stone is “the largest rough diamond found since the Cullinan,” which was cut into several pieces, including one that was among the British Crown Jewels.
This discovery is “largely due to recent X-ray detection technology” used by Lucara since 2017, which allows for the extraction of larger gemstones from the ground without breaking into smaller pieces, the expert explained.
Botswana is one of the world’s largest diamond producers, with diamonds being a major source of revenue, representing 30% of its GDP and 80% of its exports.
As noted by Lucara in its press release, diamond revenues provide Botswana with “significant socio-economic benefits,” funding essential sectors such as education and health, as well as the infrastructure of this country of 2.6 million residents.
