Giant African Diamond Discovered: The Second-Largest Ever Found

Canadian mining company Lucara Diamond has made headlines with the discovery of a colossal 2,492-carat diamond, the second-largest ever unearthed on Earth. Lucara's Karowe Diamond Mine in Botswana, known for producing some of the world's most significant diamonds, uncovered this remarkable gemstone.

Lucara's state-of-the-art Mega Diamond Recovery X-ray Transmission (XRT) technology detected the gemstone. Since its implementation in 2017, this technology has been instrumental in identifying and preserving large, high-value diamonds, enabling the recovery of such extraordinary finds.

William Lamb, President and CEO of Lucara Diamond, expressed his excitement about the discovery. "We are ecstatic about the recovery of this extraordinary 2,492-carat diamond. This discovery not only demonstrates the remarkable potential of our Karowe Mine, but also reinforces 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," Lamb stated.

This latest find is not the first significant diamond to come from Lucara’s Karowe Mine. The company discovered the 1,758-carat Sewelo diamond in 2019, and they also mined the 1,109-carat Lesedi La Rona from this site in 2015.

While this new diamond is extraordinary, the record for the largest diamond ever discovered remains with the 3,106-carat Cullinan Diamond, found in South Africa in 1905. Over 100 stones, including the 530.5-carat Cullinan I, the largest clear-cut diamond in the world, became part of the Crown Jewels of England after the Cullinan Diamond underwent cutting.

The recent discovery of Lucara underscores the Karowe Mine's ongoing potential and underscores the significance of advanced technology in contemporary diamond mining, guaranteeing the intact recovery of even the largest and most valuable stones. As the diamond industry evolves, such technological advancements will likely play a crucial role in uncovering and preserving the Earth’s most precious gems.