A massive 2,492-carat diamond has been discovered in Botswana’s Karowe diamond mine, marking it as the second-largest diamond ever found. This incredible gem, only surpassed by the famous Cullinan diamond, was unearthed by Lucara Diamond Corp, a Canadian mining company that fully owns the mine.
Lucara’s president, William Lamb, expressed great excitement over this remarkable find, although the company has not yet disclosed specific details about the diamond’s quality or value. However, sources close to Lucara estimate that this rare diamond could be worth over $40 million.
The diamond was found using Lucara’s Mega Diamond Recovery (MDR) X-ray Transmission (XRT) technology, installed in 2017. This technology has been instrumental in detecting and preserving large, high-value diamonds, reaffirming the success of Lucara’s investment in advanced technology and the potential of the Karowe mine. Over the years, Karowe has produced several impressive diamonds, including a 1,758-carat diamond bought by Louis Vuitton in 2019, and a 1,109-carat diamond sold to Graff Diamonds in 2016 for $53 million.
This latest discovery underscores Karowe’s status as a top-tier diamond mine and showcases the ongoing success of Lucara’s operational strategies.
The Cullinan diamond, still the largest gem-quality diamond ever found, was mined in South Africa in 1905 and weighed 3,106 carats before being cut into smaller stones.
This remarkable find continues to cement Botswana’s reputation as a leading source of high-quality diamonds and brings attention to the significant contributions of modern technology in the mining industry.
