Botswana: 2492-carat diamond, believed to be world's second-largest, found by Canadian firm

The company said the 2,492 carat diamond was found in Karowe Diamond Mine in Botswana.

In a statement, the company said: "This remarkable find, one of the largest rough diamonds ever unearthed, was detected and recovered by the Company's Mega Diamond Recovery ('MDR') X-ray Transmission ("XRT") technology, installed in 2017 to identify and preserve large, high-value diamonds."

The stone was recovered from the processing of EM/PK(S) kimberlite, the dominant ore type that Lucara will continue to target during the first years of the Company's underground mining operations.

This discovery underscores Karowe's reputation as a world-class asset and reaffirms Lucara's position as a leading producer of large, exceptional diamonds.

"This latest recovery joins an impressive roster of other significant finds from the mine, including the 1,758 carat Sewelô and the 1,109 carat Lesedi La Rona," the company said in a statement.

William Lamb, President and CEO of Lucara, said, "We are ecstatic about the recovery of this extraordinary 2,492 carat diamond. This find not only showcases the remarkable potential of our Karowe Mine, but also upholds our strategic investment in cutting-edge XRT technology."

"The ability to recover such a massive, high-quality stone intact demonstrates the effectiveness of our approach to diamond recovery and our commitment to maximizing value for our shareholders and stakeholders," Lamb said.

Lamb added, "This discovery reinforces Karowe's position as a truly world-class diamond mine and highlights the continued success of our operational and underground development strategy."

The massive stone was shown to Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi on Thursday.

Tobias Kormind, managing director of Europe’s largest online diamond jeweller, 77 Diamonds, told Al Jazeera that it was the largest rough diamond to be unearthed since the Cullinan Diamond, parts of which adorn Britain’s crown jewels.

“This discovery is largely thanks to newer technology that allows larger diamonds to be extracted from the ground without breaking into pieces. So we will likely see more where this came from,” he said.

Botswana is one of the largest producers of diamonds in the world.

The largest diamond found in Botswana before the latest unearthed gem was a 1,758-carat stone mined by Lucara at the Karowe mine in 2019 and named Sewelo.