Found by Canadian company Lucara Diamond, it’s the second-largest diamond ever discovered globally. This follows the legendary 3,106-carat Cullinan diamond found in South Africa in 1905. The Karowe mine, located approximately 500 kilometres north of Botswana’s capital, Gaborone, has once again proven its worth.
This recent discovery surpasses the previous record for Botswana’s largest diamond, a 1,758-carat stone found at the same mine in 2019. Most Read on Euro Weekly News Botswana is renowned for being one of the world’s leading diamond producers, contributing about 20% of global diamond production. “We are ecstatic about the recovery of this extraordinary 2,492-carat diamond,” said William Lamb, Head of Lucara.
He noted that the diamond was identified using the company’s advanced Mega Diamond Recovery X-ray technology. This technology, in use since 2017, is designed to detect and preserve large, high-value diamonds, preventing damage during the ore-crushing process. While Lucara has not released details regarding the diamond’s quality or estimated value, some news stories have speculated that the stone could be worth more than $40 million (€35.
9 million). The Karowe mine has a history of yielding exceptional diamonds. In 2019, a 1,758-carat diamond was purchased by French luxury brand Louis Vuitton for an undisclosed sum.
Additionally, a 1,109-carat diamond found in 2016 was sold to London jeweller Laurence Graff for $53 million (€47.7 million) in 2017..