GABORONE, Botswana — The Botswana government announced Wednesday that one of the largest diamonds ever found has been unearthed at the Karowe Mine, operated by Canadian mining company Lucara Diamond Corp. The massive 2,492-carat stone is believed to be the second-biggest ever recovered from a mine.
Lucara Diamond Corp. confirmed the discovery in a statement, describing the diamond as an “exceptional” and “high-quality” rough stone found intact using X-ray technology. William Lamb, Lucara’s president and CEO, expressed the company’s excitement, stating, “We are ecstatic about the recovery of this extraordinary 2,492-carat diamond.”
The newly discovered gem is set to be unveiled to the public on Thursday at the office of Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi, who will be among the first to view it. The government has emphasized that this is the largest diamond ever found in the southern African nation, which has become the world’s second-largest diamond producer.
If confirmed, the diamond’s weight would make it the largest found in over a century and second only to the famed Cullinan Diamond. Discovered in South Africa in 1905, the Cullinan weighed 3,106 carats and was subsequently cut into several gems, some of which now form part of the British Crown Jewels.
The Karowe Mine, where this latest discovery was made, has a history of producing exceptionally large diamonds. It has previously yielded four diamonds over 1,000 carats, including the 1,758-carat Sewelo diamond found in 2019, which was purchased by French fashion house Louis Vuitton for an undisclosed amount.
Another notable discovery from the same mine was the 1,111-carat Lesedi La Rona diamond, sold to a British jeweler for $53 million in 2017.
This latest find further cements Botswana’s reputation as a source of the world’s largest diamonds in recent years. The country’s diamond industry plays a crucial role in its economy, contributing significantly to its GDP and foreign exchange earnings.
Experts note that natural diamonds of this size are extremely rare, with most believed to be at least a billion years old, and some potentially over 3 billion years old. The discovery of such a large stone not only holds immense value but also provides valuable scientific insights into the Earth’s geological history.
