Canada's Lucara Diamond Corp announced a groundbreaking discovery late Wednesday: a 2,492-carat diamond unearthed at its Karowe mine in Botswana.
According to a press release by Lucara, this is the second-largest rough diamond ever discovered.
It is surpassed only by the 3,106-carat Cullinan Diamond, which was excavated in South Africa in 1905 and later became part of the British Crown Jewels.
Photo: Lucara Diamond press release
Lucara has not yet disclosed the gem quality of this massive stone, but its size adds to the Karowe mine's reputation for producing some of the world's largest diamonds. Other notable finds from the mine include the 1,758-carat Sewelô and the 1,109-carat Lesedi La Rona diamonds.
The diamond will be presented to Botswana's President Mokgweetsi Masisi on Thursday.
Botswana, known as the world's leading diamond producer by value, continues to solidify its status with such extraordinary discoveries.
In related news, Botswana recently proposed a law that would require mining companies to sell a 24% stake in their operations to local investors once a license is granted, unless the government chooses to acquire the shareholding itself.
