A massive 2,492-carat diamond, now the second largest in the world, has been discovered in Botswana, the Canadian mining company Lucara Diamond Corp. announced on Thursday. The diamond was found at the Karowe Diamond Mine in northeastern Botswana using x-ray detection technology, the company said in a statement.
Lucara did not disclose the estimated value of the diamond. In terms of size, this stone is second only to the 3,016-carat Cullinan Diamond, discovered in South Africa in 1905.
Lucara’s president, William Lamb, expressed excitement over the discovery, calling it “one of the largest rough diamonds ever unearthed.” The diamond was detected using the company’s Mega Diamond Recovery X-ray technology, installed in 2017 to help identify and preserve large, valuable stones.
Lucara Botswana’s managing director, Naseem Lahri, presented the translucent diamond, roughly the size of a palm, to President Mokgweetsi Masisi later that day. Masisi praised the find, noting it is the largest diamond ever discovered in Botswana and the second largest in the world. “This is precious,” he said, congratulating the company.
Botswana is one of the world’s top diamond producers, with diamonds accounting for 30 percent of the country’s GDP and 80 percent of its exports, according to the International Monetary Fund. When Botswana gained independence from Britain in 1966, it was a poor nation. However, diamonds were discovered the following year, and today, the country is the world’s largest producer of diamonds by value.
Lucara pays a 10 percent royalty on the gross sales value of diamonds produced from the Karowe mine to the government, whether the diamond is sold rough or polished. “With a diamond of this magnitude, I can see roads being built,” Masisi said as he posed for photos with the enormous stone.
Tobias Kormind, managing director of 77 Diamonds, Europe’s largest online diamond jeweler, confirmed that this discovery is the largest rough diamond found since the Cullinan Diamond, parts of which now adorn Britain’s crown jewels. Kormind added that the industry is likely to see more large diamonds being uncovered due to advancements in mining technology, particularly in regions like Botswana, which are rich in diamond deposits.
