Vancouver-based mining company Lucara Diamond Corp. has found what’s thought to be the second-biggest gem quality diamond ever at its mine in Botswana. Botswana is the world’s second biggest diamond producer, and Lucara said the gem was the largest ever to be recovered in the country.
“The stone, which measures 65 by 56 by 40 millimetres in size — about as big as a tennis ball — weighs a whopping 1,111 carats, or 222 grams (a carat equals one fifth of a gram)” Yahoo quoted.
Image courtesty: Yahoo
“The magnificent stone, which originated from the south lobe of Lucara’s Karowe Mine, is the world second largest gem quality diamond ever recovered and largest ever to be recovered through a modern processing facility,” the Stockholm listed company said a statement.
“The significance of the recovery of a gem quality stone larger than 1,000 carats, the largest for more than a century… cannot be overstated,” said William Lamb, the President and chief executive of Lucara.
