Second largest gem-quality diamond found.
Where?
The world’s second largest gem quality diamond has been discovered in Botswana by Lucara Diamond.
The 1,111 carat stone was recovered from Karowe mine located about 500 km (300miles) north of the capital, Gaborone.
Size!
Its the biggest diamond to be discovered in Botswana and the largest find in more than a century. Its said the diamond is rated as a Type-IIa stone and is roughly the size of a tennis ball. It measures 65mm*56mm*40mm
Estimating it !
The stone is yet to be evaluated and hence so far doesn’t have a price tag or potential buyer. If we assume to go by the recently sold 341.9 carat diamond by Lucara of roughly the same quality for $20.6 million, then the 1,111 carat giant will be estimated for a whopping $66.9 million!
William Lamb, CEO of Lucara quotes,
This has been an amazing week for Lucara with the recovery of the second largest and also the sixth largest gem quality diamonds ever mined.
Other than the 1,111 ct diamond Lucara also discovered a 813 carat and 374 carat diamond the same week.
What next ?
Its said that with a diamond of this caliber the process of determining a tender, getting it cut, polished and selling may take years to complete. Lucara further added that the diamond was too big to fit within their in-house scanner and thus requires a larger 3rd party scanner.
So far the largest diamond found is a 3,106 carat Cullinan diamond in South Africa in 1905 and was cut into nine stones, many of which are in the British Crown Jewels.
