The world’s second largest diamond—a 1,111-carat gem-quality, Type IIa diamond, to be exact—has been unearthed in Botswana. The magnificent stone—mined by Canadian diamond producer Lucara—originated from the south lobe of the Karowe mine and measures 65 x 56 x 40 millimeters.
“The significance of the recovery of a gem quality stone larger than 1,000 carats, the largest for more than a century and the continued recovery of high quality stones from the south lobe, cannot be overstated,” Lucara President and CEO William Lamb said in a release. “Our focus on mining the south lobe, which is delivering value beyond expectation, has been perfectly timed.”
Since recovering the world’s second largest diamond wasn’t quite enough, the company also announced the discovery of two more exceptional white diamonds—an 813-carat stone and a 374-carat stone—from the same location. Perfectly timed, indeed.
Main image courtesy of Lucara Diamond Corp.
