Botswana’s President Mokgweetsi Masisi holds a large diamond discovered in Botswana in his office in Gaborone on August 22, 2024.
Monirul Bhuiyan | Afp | Getty Images
One of the largest diamonds ever mined was found in Botswana in a mine owned by the Canadian company Lucara Diamond.
The 2,492-carat diamond is the second-largest find in the world and comes more than a century after a 3,106-carat gem was found in South Africa in 1905. That stone, known as the Cullinan Diamond, was cut into nine large pieces, many of which were incorporated into the British Crown Jewels.
Lucara said on Wednesday that the gemstone was discovered using an X-ray examination in the Karowe diamond mine in northeastern Botswana. The mining company did not give a value for the “high-quality” stone.
“We are thrilled with the discovery of this exceptional 2,492-carat diamond,” said William Lamb, President and CEO of Lucara, in a statement.
“This discovery not only demonstrates the remarkable potential of our Karowe mine, but also confirms our strategic investment in cutting-edge technology (X-ray transmission),” he added.
Photos published on Getty Images on Thursday show Botswana’s President Mokgweetsi Masisi with the 2,492-carat diamond in his office in the capital Gaborone.
Botswana is one of the world’s largest diamond producers, accounting for 20% of global production last year, according to GlobalData.
Botswana’s President Mokgweetsi Masisi holds a large diamond discovered in Botswana in his office in Gaborone on August 22, 2024. The 2492-carat diamond was discovered in the Lucara Diamond Company’s Karowe mine in Botswana. Botswana is one of the world’s largest diamond producers. Diamonds are the country’s main source of income, accounting for 30% of GDP and 80% of exports.
Monirul Bhuiyan | Afp | Getty Images
Lucara said the discovery followed other significant finds from the same Karowe diamond mine, including the 1,758-carat Sewelô diamond in 2019 and the 1,109-carat Lesedi La Rona diamond in 2015.
French fashion brand Louis Vuitton bought the Sewelô diamond in 2020 for an undisclosed sum, while the Lesedi La Rona diamond was sold to British multinational jeweler Graff Diamonds in 2017 for $53 million.
