An 813 ct. diamond was also found this week at the same mine

A 1,111 ct. diamond—described as slightly smaller than a tennis ball—was discovered this week at the Karowe mine in Botswana.

The type IIa stone, pictured at right, measures 65 mm by 56 mm by 40 mm  and is considered the second- largest diamond ever found, behind the 3,106 ct. Cullinan, discovered in 1905. It is also the largest diamond ever found in Botswana.

The remarkable find overshadowed another amazing discovery this week by Lucara: An 813 ct. stone, discovered at the same mine. That is considered the sixth-largest piece of rough ever found.

Lucara president and CEO William Lamb tells JCK that the 1,111 ct. stone will likely have top color. But he did not wish to speculate whether it could produce a group of stones, like the Cullinan did.

“I have not seen the stone, so I do not know what the internal features look like,” he says.

He declined to speculate on a potential price for the stone, which will likely be tendered during the first half of 2016. He did say that it will not be affected by the diamond market’s current woes.

“The price reduction people are seeing is for smaller, lower-quality goods,” he says. “The demand for these large, high-quality stones is still very strong. This is a special stone. I do not think current markets will affect the valuation.”

In a statement, Lamb described himself as “truly at a loss for words” at these twin finds.

(Photo courtesy Lucara)

Rob Bates

JCK News Director