In Botswana, a mine has recently discovered the largest diamond in over a century. The country’s president showcased the fist-sized diamond to the public in a ceremony on Thursday.
Weighing 2,492 carats, the diamond is the second-largest ever found in a mine and the largest since 1905, according to the Botswana government.
The diamond remains unnamed and was presented to the world by Botswana’s President Mokgwetsi Masisi. The president described the discovery as “mind-blowing” and expressed his amazement at being alive to witness it.
It is still too early to determine the diamond’s value or how it will be sold. However, a smaller diamond from the same mine was sold for $63 million in 2016, setting a new record for a rough diamond sale.
The Canadian mining company Lucara Diamonds, which discovered the diamond, expressed pride in the finding, calling it a “Botswana product.”
The diamond was recovered using X-ray technology at Lucara’s Karowe mine in central Botswana. The company’s president and CEO, William Lamb, described it as “exceptional” and “high quality.”
This 2,492-carat diamond is the largest found in 119 years, following the Cullinan diamond discovered in South Africa in 1905. Botswana is the second largest producer of natural diamonds after Russia.
In recent years, the Karowe mine has yielded several large diamonds, including the Sewero diamond and the famous “Lesedi la Rona” diamond.
Scientists believe that diamonds are formed when carbon atoms are compressed deep within the earth under high pressure, making them some of the oldest natural formations on Earth.
Source: www.nbcnews.com
