A massive 2,492-carat diamond, the second-largest ever found, has been unearthed from a mine in Botswana. This gem, discovered at the Karowe mine managed by Canada’s Lucara Diamond Corp., is still awaiting a detailed evaluation to determine its quality. While it’s not as large as the 3,106-carat Cullinan Diamond, the largest ever found nearly 120 years ago in South Africa, it remains a significant discovery.
Karowe mine is renowned for its large diamonds; in 2015, it produced the 1,109-carat Lesedi La Rona, then the second-largest ever discovered, which later sold for $53 million. Additionally, the mine has yielded an 813-carat diamond that set a record with a $63 million sale. Both of these diamonds were Type-IIa, a rare and highly sought-after category.
The mine also previously uncovered the 1,758-carat Sewelo, which did not meet gem quality. Regardless of whether the new diamond turns out to be of gem quality, its discovery represents a major achievement for Lucara, made possible by advanced x-ray technology designed to identify valuable stones within the primary ore.
This reveals that Karowe’s processing plant is capable of handling and detecting large diamonds without causing damage, a common challenge when dealing with brittle gems amid tons of waste rock. “Successfully recovering such a large, high-quality diamond intact proves the effectiveness of our diamond recovery approach,” noted Lucara CEO William Lamb.
The Cullinan, discovered near Pretoria, South Africa in 1905, holds the record for the largest diamond ever found. It was cut into several polished stones, including the Great Star of Africa and the Lesser Star of Africa, which are now part of the British Crown Jewels.
Lucara’s latest find arrives at a time when the diamond industry is struggling with declining prices, driven by oversupply and increasing competition from synthetic diamonds.
