A rough diamond weighing 2,492 carats, which is the second-largest diamond ever found, has been discovered at the Karowe mine in Botswana (a country in Africa) by the Canadian company Lucara Diamond. This is the largest find since the 3,106-carat Cullinan diamond was discovered in South Africa in 1905 and was cut into nine separate stones, many of which are part of the British Crown Jewels.
The diamond was found at the Karowe mine, about 500 kilometers (300 miles) north of Botswana’s capital, Gaborone. The Botswana government stated that this diamond is the largest ever discovered in this southern African state. The previous largest find in Botswana was a 1,758-carat stone discovered at the same mine in 2019. Botswana is one of the world’s largest producers of diamonds, accounting for about 20% of global production.
Lucara said in a statement that this stone is “one of the largest rough diamonds ever recovered.” However, there is still no information about the quality of the diamond. William Lamb, the chairman of Lucara, said:
“We are thrilled to have recovered this extraordinary 2,492-carat diamond. This discovery reinforces Karowe’s position as a truly world-class diamond mine and highlights the continued success of our operational and underground development strategy.”
This discovery was made possible through modern sensor-based extraction methods, in this case, MDR-XRT (Mega Diamond Recovery X-ray Transmission) technology, which identifies very large diamonds, including coated stones and those with low luminescence properties. Type IIa diamonds, which tend to form in very large crystals and potentially have the highest grades of color and clarity, are sorted out from the conveyor belt before further crushing. Older X-ray luminescence sorting systems were efficient for diamonds under 32 millimeters, but did not prevent the crushing of larger stones during ore processing and often overlooked non-fluorescent stones (some of the rare Type IIa).
Botswana’s diamond industry provides significant socio-economic benefits to the country that extend beyond the mining sector. Its impact supports national development by funding critical areas such as education and healthcare.
The chairman of Lucara Diamonds said: “This discovery symbolizes Botswana’s continued rise as a global leader in diamond production. It not only reflects the unparalleled wealth found in Botswana’s soil but also the remarkable progress the country has made in developing its diamond industry for the benefit of its citizens.”
