A gem-quality diamond weighing more than 1,000 carats has been discovered in Botswana, a country in South Africa. What’s special about this diamond, you might ask. Well, it could be the third-largest white diamond mined in history.
Who unearthed it?
The 1,098-carat diamond was unearthed by the diamond firm, Debswana, on June 1. Further, it is said to be the largest gem-quality rough diamond ever recovered by the firm in its history of over five decades in operation. Debswana is a joint venture between global diamond giant De Beers and the government of Botswana. The new stone, found in the Jwaneng mine, is yet to be named. Considering only white diamonds, the Debswana discovery would be the world’s third-largest.
Biggest diamond
The diamond is the hardest natural substance found on Earth. Diamonds form 90-120 miles beneath the surface of the Earth under extreme heat and pressure, and are carried to the surface by volcanic eruptions. Most diamonds found are between one and three billion years old. There are different gradations of diamonds, ranging from flawless (the most rare) to industrial stones used in cutting. Besides jewellery making, diamonds have varied uses in health, beauty, medicine, and industries.
Large diamonds are rarely found. So far, only five 1,000 carat-plus diamonds have been excavated. The biggest diamond ever mined was the 3,106-carat Cullinan diamond found in South Africa in 1905. It was cut into nine separate stones, many of which are in the British Crown Jewels. The second-largest diamond, Lesedi La Rona, weighing 1.109 carat, was also found in Botswana in 2015 by Lucara Diamonds. Botswana, where diamonds were first discovered in 1967, is the world’s largest producer of diamonds. Diamonds account for two-thirds of the country’s exports.
Other big diamonds
Rough diamonds are classified as gem-quality, near-gem quality or industrial-quality, based on their colour, clarity, size, and shape. Though bigger, the Sewelo, a 1758-carat rough discovered in 2019 at the Karowe mine in Botswana, was not considered gem quality. It was covered in carbon, and looking like a big lump of coal.
A week after the Debswana discovery, an even bigger rock weighing 1.174.76 carat was found in the Karowe mine by Lucara. However, like the Sewelo, it’s not considered 100% gem quality.
Picture Credit : Google
