Second-largest diamond ever unearthed found in Botswana: 'Remarkable find'
A 2,492-carat diamond was unearthed at Botswana's famed Karowe mine this week by Canada's Lucara Diamond, one of the largest stones ever.
Lucara Diamond, in a news release Wednesday, said the "exceptional 2,492-carat diamond" was a "remarkable find" and "one of the largest rough diamonds ever unearthed." It was recovered using the company's Mega Diamond Recovery (MDR) X-ray Transmission (XRT) technology, installed in 2017 "to identify and preserve large, high-value diamonds."
Though Lucara did not reveal the stone's gem quality, Reuters reported its size would make it the second-largest diamond unearthed to date, after the 3,106-carat Cullinan Diamond, which was discovered in neighboring South Africa in 1905.
The Cullinan Diamond became a part of the British Crown jewels after being cut and polished.
"This latest recovery joins an impressive roster of other significant finds from the mine, including the 1,758-carat Sewelô and the 1,109-carat Lesedi La Rona," the company said in its news release.
Before the discovery, the 1,758-carat stone Sewelô was the largest diamond discovered in Botswana, according to Al-Jazeera. It was also mined at the Karowe mine in 2019.
The government of Botswana said the diamond was the largest ever discovered in the southern African state, according to BBC News.
'Extraordinary diamond'
Lucara President and CEO William Lamb said the company is "ecstatic about the recovery of this extraordinary 2,492-carat diamond," adding the "discovery reinforces Karowe's position as a truly world-class diamond mine."
Lucara has complete ownership of the Karowe mine, which has been in production since 2012, the company said on its website. The company was expected to present the diamond to Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi, according to Reuters.
Botswana is one of the biggest producers of diamonds in the world, accounting for about 20% of global production, a report by GlobalData says. The southern African country proposed a law last month that will ask mining companies, once granted a license, to sell a 24% stake in mines to local investors unless the government exercises its option to acquire the shareholding, Reuters reported.
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for Paste BN. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.