Canada's Lucara finds world's second-largest diamond ever in Botswana

BREAKING NEWSAugust 22, 2024 at 11:20 AM UTC

TLDR

Huge 2,492-carat diamond unearthed in Botswana at the Karowe mine, operated by Lucara Diamond, solidifying Botswana's position in the diamond industry.
Second-largest diamond ever found globally, marking a significant discovery since the renowned Cullinan diamond in 1905.
Located 500km north of Gaborone, this discovery confirms Botswana as a key player in the global diamond market.

A rough 2,492-carat diamond, the second-largest ever discovered, has been unearthed in Botswana at the Karowe mine, operated by Canadian firm Lucara Diamond.

This find marks the biggest diamond discovery since the 3,106-carat Cullinan diamond was found in South Africa in 1905, which was later cut into nine separate stones, many of which are part of the British Crown Jewels.

Located about 500km (300 miles) north of Botswana's capital, Gaborone, the Karowe mine has once again solidified Botswana's status as a major player in the global diamond industry. The Botswana government has confirmed that this is the largest diamond ever discovered in the country.

Key Takeaways

The previous largest diamond discovered in Botswana was a 1,758-carat stone, also found at Lucara's Karowe mine in 2019. The Karowe mine is renowned for producing some of the world's largest diamonds. In 2015, it yielded the 1,109-carat Lesedi La Rona, which was then the second-largest diamond ever discovered and eventually sold for $53 million. Another significant find from the same mine was an 813-carat stone that set a record by fetching $63 million. Botswana is a major player in the global diamond industry, responsible for about 20% of the world's diamond production, solidifying its status as one of the top diamond producers globally.

Bostwana

Mining

Diamonds

Lucara Diamond

South Africa

Cullinan Diamond