One of the largest diamonds in history has been found at a mine in Botswana and will be put on public display.
Canadian mining company Lucara Diamond Corp. said in a statement that it had discovered an “exceptional” diamond at its Karowe mine in western Botswana.
Lucara said it was a “high quality” stone that was found intact. It was detected using X-ray technology.
By weight, it will be the largest diamond found in the last 100 years and the second largest diamond ever dug out of a mine after the Cullinan diamond discovered in South Africa in 1905.
The Cullinan weighed 3,106 carats and was cut into gemstones, some of which are part of the British Crown Jewels.
A larger black diamond was discovered in Brazil in the late 1800s, but it was found on the surface and is believed to have been part of a meteorite.
Botswana is the second largest diamond producer and in recent years all of the world’s largest stones have been found here.
Prior to this discovery, the Sewelo diamond, found at the Karowe mine in 2019, was recognised as the second largest mined diamond in the world at 1,758 carats. It was bought by French fashion house Louis Vuitton for an undisclosed sum.
The 1,111-carat Lesedi La Rona diamond, also from Botswana’s Karou mine, was bought by a British jeweller for $53 million in 2017.
Last year, Botswana sought a bigger share of revenue from diamond giant De Beers. According to official figures, the business generated $2.8 billion in revenue for Botswana last year and that figure is expected to increase with the new trade pact. The two sides also agreed to extend mining licences by 25 years. The licences will now run until 2054.
