Photo courtesy Debswana Diamond Company/Reuters
A diamond believed to be the third-largest gem-quality stone ever found has been unearthed in Africa.
Measuring 73 mm long, 52 mm wide, and 27 mm thick, the diamond was recovered by Debswana Diamond Company, De Beers’ joint venture with the Botswana government, Reuters reports.
“This is the largest diamond to be recovered by Debswana in its history of over 50 years in operation,” says managing director, Lynette Armstrong, according to Reuters.
The diamond, which has yet to be named, is considered the third-largest of its kind ever mined, trailing only the 3106-carat ‘Cullinan’ stone recovered in South Africa in 1905, and the 1109-carat ‘Lesedi La Rona’ unearthed by Lucara Diamonds in Botswana in 2015.
“From our preliminary analysis, it could be the world’s third-largest gem quality stone,” Armstrong says. “We are yet to make a decision on whether to sell it through the De Beers channel or through the state-owned Okavango Diamond Company.”
