One of the world's largest diamonds found in Botswana

VANCOUVER

A remarkable rough diamond weighing 2,492 carats has been discovered in Botswana, according to an announcement made by the Canadian mining company Lucara Diamond Corp on Thursday.

The gem was unearthed at the Karowe Diamond Mine, located in northeastern Botswana, approximately 430 kilometers (270 miles) from the capital city of Gaborone.

Lucara did not disclose the value or quality of the diamond, but its size places it close to the historical 3,016.75-carat Cullinan Diamond, the largest gem-quality diamond ever mined, discovered in South Africa in 1905.

"We are ecstatic about the recovery of this extraordinary 2,492 carat diamond," stated William Lamb, Lucara president and CEO, in a company release. The discovery is noted as one of the largest rough diamonds ever found and was detected using Lucara's Mega Diamond Recovery X-ray technology.

Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi was slated to view the massive stone later on Thursday. As one of the world's leading diamond producers, Botswana's economy relies heavily on the diamond industry.

Prior to this recent find, the largest diamond recovered in Botswana was a 1,758-carat stone, also mined by Lucara in 2019, which was named Sewelo.