Editor’s Note
A remarkable 2,492-carat diamond, the largest discovered in over a century, has been recovered in Botswana. This historic find underscores the region’s continued significance in the global diamond industry.
![[가보로네=AP/뉴시스] 22일(현지시각) 아프리카 남부 보츠와나 수도 가보로네에서 2492캐럿 다이아몬드 원석이 공개됐다. 2024.08.23.](https://img1.newsis.com/2024/08/23/NISI20240823_0001416466_web.jpg?rnd=20240823013555)
A 2,492-carat diamond rough, the largest discovered in 119 years, has been unearthed at a mine in Botswana, Africa.
According to AP on the 22nd (local time), the Office of the President of Botswana, Mokgweetsi Masisi, announced the discovery of the diamond rough. Weighing approximately 500 grams, it is the largest diamond found since 1905. Its name has not been disclosed.
Officials stated it is too early to assess the diamond’s value or decide on a sales method. Another, smaller diamond rough from the same mine was sold in 2016 for a record $63 million (approximately 85 billion won).
The Canadian mining company Lucara Diamond, which discovered the diamond, issued a statement the previous day announcing the unearthing of an “exceptional stone” at the Karowe mine in central Botswana. The company added that the diamond is a high-quality rough in intact condition.
This diamond rough is the second largest ever mined, following the Cullinan diamond discovered in South Africa in 1905. The Cullinan diamond weighed 3,106 carats and was used in part of the British Crown Jewels. A larger but lower-purity black diamond was found in Brazil in the late 1800s, but it was discovered on the surface and is believed to be part of a meteorite.
Botswana, located in southern Africa with a population of 2.6 million, is the world’s second-largest producer of natural diamonds after Russia. The Karowe mine has yielded diamonds over 1,000 carats four times in the past decade.