A new gem has entered the list of largest diamonds discovered, according to Lucara Diamond Corp. This Thursday, the company announced the recovery of a nearly 2,500 carat “exceptional” diamond.
It said this stone was found in the Karowe Diamond Mine that opened in Botswana 22 years ago. Lucara also said the gem is one of the “largest rough diamonds ever unearthed,” and according to the BBC, it is the second-largest diamond ever found.
At 2,492 carats, it is the largest diamond discovered in close to 120 years. While the 3,106-carat Cullinan diamond was the largest when it was found in South Africa back in 1905, it has since been cut in to nine separate stones. Some of those are part of the British Crown Jewels collection.
Other large diamonds found at the Karowe Diamond Mine include the 1,758 carat Sewelô and the 1,109 carat Lesedi La Rona.
“We are ecstatic about the recovery of this extraordinary 2,492 carat diamond. This find not only showcases the remarkable potential of our Karowe Mine, but also upholds our strategic investment in cutting-edge XRT technology,” said William Lamb, president and CEO of Lucara, of the recent find. “The ability to recover such a massive, high-quality stone intact demonstrates the effectiveness of our approach to diamond recovery and our commitment to maximizing value for our shareholders and stakeholders.”
That Mega Diamond Recovery X-ray Transmission technology was installed in 2017 to identify and preserve large, high-value diamonds, according to Lucara. The BBC said it prevents diamonds from being crushed as material containing them is processed, though diamonds – made of pure carbon – are known to be strongest and hardest material on Earth.
To find the recently discovered gem, kimberlite was processed. This material is “a dark-colored, heavy, often altered and brecciated (fragmented), intrusive igneous rock that contains diamonds in its rock matrix,” according to Britannica. Lucara plans to continue to mine this type of ore in the future.
Per the BBC, Botswana’s government said the recent Lucara find was the largest diamond ever discovered in the southern African state. The country accounts for around 20% of global diamond production.
“Botswana’s diamond industry delivers wide-ranging socio-economic benefits to the country that extend well beyond the mining sector,” according to Lucara. “Its influence supports national development by funding critical areas such as education and healthcare.”
Lucara’s new find may be one of the largest diamonds, but it isn’t the only diamond discovered lately. In fact, sometimes they are found by regular people instead of large-scale mining operations. Just last year, Audacy reported on two different diamond discoveries by at Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Ark. One was a 4.87-carat diamond discovered by a man named Jerry Evans and the other was a 2.95-carat diamond found by a 7-year-old girl named Aspen Brown.
According to the BBC, Lucara did not give details of the new stone’s gem quality or its value. However, it said that the U.K.-based Financial Times newspaper recited anonymous sources close to Lucara estimated that the stone could be more than $40 million.
“This discovery reinforces Karowe’s position as a truly world-class diamond mine and highlights the continued success of our operational and underground development strategy,” said Lamb.