Diamond company Lucara announced Thursday the discovery of a 2,492-carat diamond at a mine in Botswana, an exceptional size that barely fits in the palm of your hand and the largest ever found in the country.
The gem, found at the Karowe mine in the northeast of the country, “is one of the largest rough diamonds ever discovered” and the largest ever found in Botswana, Lukara said in a press release quoted by the French news agency France-Presse (AFP).
In terms of carats, it is not far from the world’s largest known diamond, the Cullinan, which weighs over 3,100 carats and was discovered in South Africa in 1905.
“We are thrilled to have found this extraordinary diamond,” Lucara CEO William Lamb said in a press release.
Lukara did not specify the value of the discovery or its quality, but a press presentation is planned this afternoon in Gaborone, the capital of Botswana, where the diamond is then expected to be handed over to President Mokgweetsi Masisi.
Botswana is one of the world’s largest producers of diamonds, which constitute its main source of income.
In a press release, Lukara said diamond revenues provide Botswana with “significant socio-economic benefits,” funding “critical areas such as education and health” as well as infrastructure in the southern African country of 2.6 million people.
Before the discovery was announced on Thursday, the largest diamond mined in Botswana was a 1,758-carat stone also mined by Lucara in 2019 and named Sewelo.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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