Agency Report
A rough 2,492-carat stone—has been found in Botswana, a Canadian mining company that discovered the gem announced Thursday.
The diamond was found in the Karowe Diamond Mine in northeastern Botswana, about 430 kilometres (270 miles) from the capital Gaborone, Lucara Diamond Corp. said in a statement.
In terms of carats, the stone appears to be not far behind the largest gem-quality diamond ever mined, the 3,016.75-carat Cullinan Diamond, discovered in South Africa in 1905.
“We are ecstatic about the recovery of this extraordinary 2,492-carat diamond,” Lucara president and CEO William Lamb said in a statement.
This find was “one of the largest rough diamonds ever unearthed” and detected using the company’s Mega Diamond Recovery X-ray technology, the statement said.
President Mokgweetsi Masisi was due to view the massive stone later Thursday.
AFP