CNN —
A massive 2,492-carat rough diamond believed to be the second-largest ever found has been unearthed in Botswana, according to a mining company.
The massive stone is believed to be the largest since the 3,106-carat Cullinan diamond was discovered in South Africa in 1905.
Canadian mining company Lucara Diamond Corp. said Thursday that an “extraordinary” gemstone had been found intact at its Karowe mine.
The company called it a “remarkable” find and hailed it as “one of the largest rough diamonds ever unearthed.”
The company said in a press release that the diamond was found, unearthed and recovered using its Mega Diamond Recovery (MDR) X-ray transmission (XRT) technology, which is designed to “identify and preserve large, high-value diamonds.”
“We are thrilled with the recovery of this extraordinary 2,492 carat diamond,” Lucara president and CEO William Lamb said in a press release.
Rough diamonds are typically classified as gem, semi-gem or industrial quality depending on their color, clarity, size and shape.
Prior to this announcement, the second largest find was thought to be the 1,109-carat stone, Lesedi la Rona, also discovered by Lucara at the Karowe mine in 2015. The diamond was sold two years later to luxury jeweller Graff for $53 million.
A Lucara spokesman said the company has found six of the top 10 diamonds ever found.
The spokesman added that the stone would be properly assessed over the coming weeks.
The diamond will be presented to Botswana's President Mokgwetsi Masisi on Thursday, according to Reuters.
Botswana, the world's largest diamond producer by value, proposed legislation last month that would require mining companies to sell a 24 percent stake in their mines to local investors once they receive a licence, unless the government exercises its option to acquire a stake, according to Reuters.
The record-breaking 3,106 carat Cullinan Diamond was discovered in 1905 in the Premier Mine in what is now Transvaal, South Africa. It was then cut into smaller stones, some of which are part of the British Crown Jewels.
