A 2,492-carat diamond, the second largest ever found, has been uncovered in Botswana, according to Lucara Diamond Corp, the Canadian mining company responsible for the discovery.
The diamond was unearthed at the Karowe Diamond Mine in northeastern Botswana using advanced X-ray technology. While Lucara has not disclosed the stone’s value or quality, it is noted to be second only to the 3,016-carat Cullinan Diamond found in South Africa in 1905.
Lucara President William Lamb expressed excitement about the discovery, calling it “extraordinary.” Images released by the company show that the diamond is roughly the size of a human palm.
The diamond was identified with the Mega Diamond Recovery X-ray technology, which was installed in 2017 to detect and preserve large, high-value diamonds. This technology has played a crucial role in identifying such massive stones.
Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi was shown the diamond later on Thursday. The Botswana government confirmed its status as the second largest diamond in the world. Tobias Kormind, managing director of 77 Diamonds, Europe’s largest online diamond retailer, noted that this is the largest rough diamond discovered since the Cullinan Diamond and highlighted the role of advanced technology in enabling such discoveries.
Botswana, a major global diamond producer, relies heavily on diamond mining, which constitutes 30 percent of its GDP and 80 percent of its exports. The country recently proposed legislation requiring mining companies to offer a 24-percent stake in their mines to local investors, with the government holding the option to acquire this stake.
Prior to this find, the largest diamond discovered in Botswana was a 1,758-carat stone named Sewelo, which Lucara extracted from the same mine in 2019. Lucara also uncovered a 1,174-carat diamond in 2021 using similar technology.