Botswana's President Mokgwetsi Masisi holds a large diamond discovered in Botswana in his presidential office in Gaborone on August 22, 2024.
Monirul Bhuiyan | AFP | Getty Images
One of the largest diamonds ever mined has been discovered in a mine in Botswana owned by Canadian company Lucara Diamonds.
The 2,492-carat diamond was the world's second-largest find, more than a century after a 3,106-carat gem was discovered in South Africa in 1905. The stone, known as the Cullinan Diamond, was cut into nine large pieces, many of which were set into the British Crown Jewels.
Lucara said on Wednesday that the gem was discovered using X-ray technology at its Karowe diamond mine in northeastern Botswana. The company did not disclose the value of the “high-quality” stone.
“We are thrilled with the recovery of this incredible 2,492-carat diamond,” Lucara president and CEO William Lamb said in a statement.
“This discovery not only demonstrates the incredible potential of the Karowe mine, but also endorses our strategic investment in cutting edge (X-ray transmission) technology,” he added.
A photo released by Getty Images on Thursday showed Botswana's President Mokgwetsi Masisi holding the 2,492-carat diamond in his office in the capital, Gaborone.
Botswana is one of the world's largest diamond producers, accounting for 20 percent of global production last year, according to GlobalData.
Botswana's President Mokgwetsi Masisi holds the large diamond discovered in Botswana in his office in Gaborone on August 22, 2024. The 2,492-carat diamond was discovered at Lucara Diamond Company's Karowe mine in Botswana. Botswana is one of the world's largest diamond producers, with diamonds accounting for 30% of the country's GDP and 80% of its exports, making it the country's main source of income.
Monirul Bhuiyan | AFP | Getty Images
Lucara said the discovery follows other significant finds from the same Karowe diamond mine, including the 1,758-carat Sewello diamond in 2019 and the 1,109-carat Lesedi La Rona diamond in 2015.
French fashion brand Louis Vuitton purchased the Sewero diamond for an undisclosed amount in 2020, while the Lesedi La Rona diamond was sold to British multinational jeweller Graff Diamonds in 2017 for $53 million.
