Editor’s Note
A remarkable 170-carat pink diamond, reportedly the largest found in three centuries, has been unearthed in Angola. Named the “Lulo Rose,” its discovery highlights the region’s mineral wealth and is poised to make waves in the global gem market.
A 170-carat pink diamond, claimed to be the largest discovered in the past 300 years, has been found in the African country of Angola. The diamond has been named “Lulo Rose” as it was discovered at the Lulo diamond mine.
It is expected to fetch a high price in the market, as similar pink diamonds have previously sold for record prices. In 2017, a 59.6-carat pink diamond was auctioned for $71.2 million, making it the most expensive diamond ever sold.
The true value of the “Lulo Rose” will only be known once it is cut and polished, a process that typically halves the diamond’s weight. The value of pink diamonds depends on their color, clarity, cut style, and weight.
Lucapa Diamond Company has described it as a “historic discovery.” The Angolan government, a partner in the mine, has also warmly welcomed the find.
Most colored gemstones contain chemical elements that reduce their transparency and absorb light, but natural pink diamonds do not.
The world’s most famous pink diamonds are found and supplied primarily from the Argyle mine in Australia. Pink diamonds have also been found in Brazil, India, Tanzania, and now Angola.
The Lulo mine employs about 400 workers and is already the site where Angola’s two largest diamonds to date have been found. According to Lucapa, the pink diamond is the fifth largest found at the mine, where 27 diamonds of 100 carats or more have been discovered.