A monumental 2,492-carat rough diamond, the second-largest ever discovered, has been unearthed in Botswana at the Karowe mine, owned by Canadian company Lucara Diamond. This extraordinary find marks the largest diamond discovery in Botswana’s history and comes from one of the world’s leading diamond-producing nations, responsible for about 20% of global production.
The massive stone, which was detected using Lucara’s advanced Mega Diamond Recovery X-ray technology, was recovered approximately 500km (300 miles) north of Botswana’s capital, Gaborone. Lucara CEO William Lamb expressed the company’s excitement, stating, "We are ecstatic about the recovery of this extraordinary 2,492-carat diamond."
This is the largest diamond found since the famous 3,106-carat Cullinan diamond, discovered in South Africa in 1905, which was eventually cut into nine pieces, many of which now adorn the British Crown Jewels.
While Lucara has yet to disclose the gem quality or value of the diamond, industry sources estimate its worth could exceed $40 million. The 2,492-carat diamond surpasses Botswana’s previous largest find, a 1,758-carat stone recovered from the same Karowe mine in 2019, which was sold to Louis Vuitton. In 2016, another significant find at Karowe—a 1,109-carat diamond—was sold for $53 million to London jeweler Laurence Graff.
The discovery comes amid discussions in Botswana’s government regarding new regulations that would require companies granted mining licenses to sell a 24% stake to local firms unless the government opts to become a shareholder. Lucara holds 100% ownership of the Karowe mine.
The unearthing of this colossal diamond further cements Botswana’s status as a global diamond powerhouse, with the Karowe mine continuing to produce some of the world's most significant gems.
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