In a remarkable discovery, Botswana has yielded the world's second-largest diamond, a gem of extraordinary size and clarity.
The second-largest diamond ever discovered, a rough 2,492-carat stone, was discovered in Botswana at a mine operated by Canadian company Lucara Diamond.
It is the largest find since the 3,106-carat Cullinan diamond, discovered in South Africa in 1905 and cut into nine distinct stones, several of which are housed in the British Crown Jewels.
The diamond was discovered at the Karowe mine, some 500 kilometres (300 miles) north of Botswana's capital, Gaborone.
According to the government of Botswana, it is the biggest diamond ever found in the state in southern Africa.
A 1,758-carat stone discovered in 2019 at the same mine was Botswana's largest find before this.
With 20% of the world's total production, Botswana is one of the top producers of diamonds.
Lucara described the stone as "one of the largest rough diamonds ever unearthed" in a statement.
"We are ecstatic about the recovery of this extraordinary 2,492-carat diamond," said Lucara head William Lamb.
According to Lamb, the diamond was found using Lucara's Mega Diamond Recovery X-ray technology.
However, the value and gem grade of the stone was not disclosed by the company.
The French fashion firm Louis Vuitton paid an unknown amount for the 1,758-carat stone that was discovered in 2019.
