Botswana has found a third largest diamond of its kind, lightening the gloom in a country, which like other countries on the continent, is struggling to cope with effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Debswana found the 1,098-carat diamond earlier this month. Debswana is a joint venture between the government of Botswana and Debeers Group.
“It is believed to be the third largest gem-quality find in the world,” Debswana Managing Director, Lynette Armstrong, confirmed, adding that it is what the country needs given the current challenges it is facing. “This rare and extraordinary stone means so much in the context of diamonds and Botswana.”
The largest ever diamond mined ever was the 3,106-carat Cullinan discovered in 1905 in South Africa.
The second largest discovery was 1,109-carat “Lesedi La Rona diamond” at Lucara diamond’s Karowe mine in northeastern Botswana in 2015. Botswana is the leading diamond producer in Africa and the biggest in the world by value.
The 3,106-carat Cullinan is the largest diamond ever discovered.
