Canadian miner Lucara finds biggest diamond in more than a century in Botswana
The biggest diamond in more than 100 years has been unearthed by a small Canadian mining company at a mine in Botswana.
The 1,111 carat stone, which is second in size only to the Cullinan diamond in the Crown Jewels, was discovered by Lucara at its Karowe mine in north-central Botswana.
The gem measures 65 mm by 56mm by 40mm.
"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," William Lamb, president and chief executive of Lucara, said in a statement.
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"Our focus on mining the south lobe, which is delivering value beyond expectation, has been perfectly timed with the commissioning of our recent plant modifications, enabling the recovery of these large, high quality exceptional diamonds."
The biggest diamond ever found is the 3,106 Cullinan diamond found in the Premier mine in South Africa in 1905. It was cut into nine large stones, including the Star of Africa, which is now part of the Crown Jewels.