Botswana says it has found the world’s ‘third largest’ diamond
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Botswanan diamond firm Debswana has unearthed 1,098-carat stone which it’s describing as the third-largest of its kind in the world.
“It is believed to be the third-largest gem-quality find in the world,” said Debswana Managing Director Lynette Armstrong.
It measures 73mm long, 52mm wide and 27mm thick. It is also the biggest stone of gem quality to be found in the history of Debswana
The massive stone was found on June 1. And on Wednesday (June 16) it was shown to President Mokgweetsi Masisi in the capital, Gaborone.
And according to Minerals Minister Lefoko Moagi, this discovery came right on time after the COVID-19 pandemic hit diamond sales in 2020.
Debswana is a joint venture between the government and global diamond giant De Beers and the government receives as much as 80 percent of the income from its sales through dividends, royalties, and taxes.
The biggest diamond ever discovered in the world was the 3,106-carat Cullinan, found in South Africa in 1905.
In 2015, the second-largest was 1,109-carat Lesedi La Rona – a diamond the size of a tennis ball, discovered at Karowe, northeastern Botswana.
Botswana is Africa’s leading diamond producer.