Editor’s Note
Botswana has unveiled a colossal 1,098-carat diamond, potentially the third-largest gem-quality stone ever found. This remarkable discovery underscores the nation’s status as a leading source of the world’s most significant diamonds.
A diamond that could be the third largest ever discovered has been unveiled in Botswana.
The stone, weighing 1,098 carats, was presented to President Mokgweetsi Masisi two weeks after its recovery by diamond company Debswana.
This enormous gemstone is only slightly lighter than the world’s second-largest diamond, which was also discovered in Botswana in 2015.
Debswana is a joint venture between the government and the global diamond giant De Beers, with up to 80% of sales revenue flowing to state coffers through dividends, royalties, and taxes.
An estimate of the stone’s potential value has not yet been released. However, in 2017, the second-largest diamond ever discovered, Lesedi La Rona, was sold for $53 million.
The largest diamond ever discovered remains the 3,106-carat Cullinan diamond found in South Africa in 1905.
According to Debswana, the newly discovered diamond measures 73 mm long, 52 mm wide, and 27 mm thick.
Botswana’s Minister of Minerals, Lefoko Moagi, emphasized that the latest discovery comes at an ideal time for Botswana, following a slump in diamond sales last year due to the pandemic.
The newly discovered stone, found at the Jwaneng mine, has not yet been named.
Ms. Armstrong stated that no decision has been made yet regarding the sale of this “rare and extraordinary stone,” whether by De Beers or the state-owned Okavango Diamond Company.