The world’s second-largest gem quality diamond has been discovered in Botswana, the Lucara Diamond firm says in an announcement.
The 1, 111-carat stone, Type IIa diamond, is second in size only to the Cullinan diamond cut into the British Crown jewels. The gem was recovered from its Karowe mine, about 500km (300 miles) north of the capital, Gaborone.
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The 3, 106-carat Cullinan diamond was found in South Africa in 1905 and cut into nine separate stones, many of which are in the British Crown Jewels.
It is the biggest diamond to be discovered in Botswana and the largest find in more than a century. Gem Diamonds previously held the record for the largest discovered this century with the 603-carat Lesotho Promise.
“The significance of the recovery of a gem quality stone larger than 1, 000 carats, the largest for more than a century… cannot be overstated, “said William Lamb, the CEO of Lucara Diamond, a Canadian diamond producer
Lucara says two other “exceptional” white diamonds – an 813-carat stone and a 374-carat stone – were also found at the Karowe mine.
“I am truly at a loss for words. This has been an amazing week for Lucara with the recovery of the second largest and also the sixth largest gem quality diamonds ever mined, ” Mr Lamb said.
Botswana is the world’s largest producer of diamonds and the trade has transformed it into a middle-income nation.
