Largest Diamond in 119 Years Unearthed in Botswana Mine
A remarkable discovery has been made at the Karowe Mine in central Botswana, where the largest diamond found in 119 years was unearthed, weighing in at an astonishing 2,492 carats, or roughly half a kilogram, Sky News reports.
The diamond was located using advanced X-ray technology, according to the Canadian mining company Lucara Diamond Corporation. While it is too early to assess its value, a similar, smaller gem extracted from the same mine in 2016 sold for a staggering $63 million (£48 million).
The diamond, which has yet to be named, was presented to Botswana’s President Mokgweetsi Masisi on Thursday.
This newly found gem is the largest diamond discovered since the historic Cullinan Diamond was unearthed in South Africa in 1905. Weighing 3,106 carats, the Cullinan was later cut into several gems, some of which are used in the British Crown Jewels.
Botswana is recognized as the second-largest producer of natural diamonds in the world, trailing only Russia. The Karowe Mine has a notable track record, producing four diamonds over 1,000 carats in the past decade.
“This is history in the making,” said Naseem Lahri, managing director for Lucara in Botswana. “I am very proud. It is a product of Botswana.”
Diamonds form through the compression of carbon atoms at high pressures deep within the Earth’s crust. Scientists estimate that most diamonds are at least a billion years old, with some potentially reaching up to three billion years in age.
