Unearthing History: Discovery of a Colossal 2,492-Carat Diamond

Lovers of diamonds and jewellery, where quality, size and clarity rule, the news of a recent diamond discovery at the Botswana Karowe Mine has sent shockwaves and excitement through the industry as the world's second-largest diamond was unveiled to the public at a special viewing ceremony with Botswana's President Mokgweetsi Masisi and other officials on Thursday in the Capital Gaborone.

The colossal 2,492-carat diamond was unearthed in July 2024 by the mine's Canadian-owned operator, Lucara Diamond Corp., and is already being hailed as one of the most significant in history. "This is an amazing find and an astonishing size," said Jewels of St Leon Gemmologist Neil St Leon.

"We are ecstatic about the recovery of this extraordinary 2,492-carat diamond." Said Lucara's CEO, William Lamb, in a statement commenting on the find: "This discovery reinforces Karowe's position as a truly world-class diamond mine."

President Masisi, who seemed awe-struck while examining the fist-sized rough diamond, said, "I am lucky to have seen it in my time." The Karowe Mine, located in central Botswana, is already synonymous with the discovery of the world's largest diamonds and has a reputation for yielding extraordinary quality and size.

What sets this discovery apart from others is the technology used to recover this behemoth diamond. Using Lucara's Mega Diamond Recovery (MDR) X-ray Transmission (XRT) technology, the diamond was detected and identified, allowing this mega stone to be extracted with minimal damage.

"This technology is mindblowing," said Neil St Leon, discussing how the diamond was discovered. "The ability to use this X-ray technology with such precision means large diamonds can be recovered with a care that has not been available in the past."

This is not the first time that the Karowe Mine has made headlines; it has also produced the 1,758-carat Sewelô in 2019, the 1,111-carat Lesedi La Rona in 2015, the 812.77-carat Constellation in 2015 and now the yet-unnamed 2,492 carat diamond. These recent discoveries have consolidated the mine's reputation as one of the most prolific sources of large diamonds.

Botswana is the second largest diamond producer and has recently produced all of the record-breaking rough diamonds. These discoveries have been of tremendous benefit to the country's economy and its 2.6 million people and helps to fund education and healthcare.

"That area of Botswana is especially rich with high-quality diamonds", remarked Jewels of St Leon Gemmologist Neil St Leon. "It bodes well for the country's future, the people of Botswana and all of us who love diamonds."
The recovery of the 2,492-carat diamond has already been recognised as the second-largest rough gem-quality diamond to be discovered, knocking the 2019 discovered 1,758-carat Sewelô from the coverted number 2 position.

However, it has fallen well short of the number one spot that belongs to the famed 3,106-carat Cullinan diamond discovered in 1905 at the Premier No. 2 mine in Cullinan, South Africa. The Cullinan diamond was cut into 105 different diamonds and are now featured in some of the world's most recognised pieces, including the British Crown Jewels.

Neil St Leon predicts that this rough diamond could fetch a record price when it goes under the hammer, and he notes that other diamonds from the Kerewo Mine have garnered record prices at the time of their sales. "When Lucara sells it and, whoever buys it will potentially be able to produce several high-quality large stones that could be amongst the most valuable ever sold, but that will be many years from now."

In a world where modern technology often outpaces nature, this remarkable discovery, the largest in 119 years, shows that the earth still has many beautiful hidden gems that we are yet to discover. The story of this 2,492-carat diamond is just beginning, and we can't wait to see how it turns out.