Botswana has unearthed the second-largest diamond ever discovered, further solidifying its position as one of the world’s premier diamond producers.
The massive 2,492-carat rough diamond was found at the Karowe mine, operated by Canadian firm Lucara Diamond, approximately 500 kilometres north of the capital Gaborone.
Lucara chief executive William Lamb said in a statement on Thursday that the stone was “one of the largest rough diamonds ever unearthed”.
“We are ecstatic about the recovery of this extraordinary 2,492 carat diamond.”
The latest discovery comes just a few years after the mine yielded a 1,758-carat diamond in 2019 and another 1,109-carat stone in 2016, cementing Botswana’s status as a diamond powerhouse.
The newly discovered gem is second in size only to the legendary 3,106-carat Cullinan diamond, found in South Africa in 1905, which was later cut into the famous stones that now adorn the British Crown Jewels.
JN/APA