The 2,492-carat rough diamond found in Botswana is believed to be the world's second-largest gem-quality sample ever unearthed, after the famous Cullinan diamond.
The world's second largest diamond was found in Botswana. (Lucara Diamond Corp) {{^userSubscribed}} {{/userSubscribed}} {{^userSubscribed}} {{/userSubscribed}}
The giant gem was discovered at the Karowe diamond mine in Botswana, which is wholly owned by the Canadian mining company Lucara Diamond Company.
“We are thrilled with the recovery of this extraordinary 2,492-carat diamond,” Lucara president William Lamb said in a statement.
Lucara has not released details about the diamond's quality or value, but the Financial Times, citing anonymous sources close to the company, estimated that the diamond could fetch more than $40 million.
The diamond was detected and recovered using the company's Mega Diamond Recovery (MDR) X-ray transmission (XRT) technology, which was introduced in 2017 to identify and preserve large, high-value diamonds. Lamb said the discovery validates Lucara's investment in XRT technology and the potential of its Karowe mine, which has produced significant discoveries over the past few years.
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In 2019, a 1,758-carat diamond from the mine was purchased by luxury fashion house Louis Vuitton. Prior to that, in 2010, Graff Diamonds purchased a 1,109-carat diamond from Karowe in 2016 for a staggering $53 million.
“This discovery reinforces Karowe's position as a truly world-class diamond mine and highlights the continued success of our operations and underground development strategy,” William Lamb said.
The Cullinan Diamond is 3,106 carats and is the largest gem-quality diamond ever found. It was mined in South Africa in 1905 and cut into several smaller stones.
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