An enormous rough diamond, an impressive pebble with silvery reflections which coils in the palm of a hand, was discovered on June 12 in Botswana, we learned on Wednesday from the Canadian company Lucara.
The 1,174-carat gemstone thus steals third place on the podium for the largest diamonds in the world, from another exceptional stone found a few days earlier, on June 1, in the same country but by another mining company.
Six of the biggest diamonds discovered in Botswana
It is a “historic discovery, for us and for Botswana as well,” commented Lucara CEO Naseem Lahri.
This latest discovery indeed consolidates Botswana in its leading position on the world stage of the largest stones, with six of the largest diamonds in the world. President Mokgweetsi Masisi praised this “fascinating moment” and the increasing frequency of diamond discoveries in the country.
The 1098-carat diamond discovered on June 1 is owned by the Debswana company, jointly owned by the government and South African diamond dealer De Beers. And the largest known diamond is the “Cullinan”, over 3,100 carats, unearthed in South Africa in 1905.
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