The largest diamond of the century was found in Botswana
The largest diamond found in more than a century has been unearthed in a mine in Botswana, and the country's president showed the world the fist-sized stone at a viewing event.
The largest diamond found in more than a century has been unearthed in a mine in Botswana, and the country's president showed the world the fist-sized stone at a viewing event.
Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi said. "Diamonds mean everything to us in good times and in bad times."
The Botswana government says the 2,492 carat diamond is the second largest ever discovered in a mine. It is the largest diamond found since the one found in South Africa in 1905 .
Officials have said it is too early to value the stone or decide how it will be sold. Another small diamond from the mine in Botswana was sold for 63 million dollars in 2016 .
Naseem Lahri, the Botswana executive director of Lucara Diamond Corp, the Canadian mining company that found the diamond says that this diamond has been found due to the technology used which is XRT.
He said in a statement on Wednesday that they found this "unique" diamond from the Karowe Mine in central Botswana .
Botswana, a country of 2.6 million people in southern Africa, is the second largest source of natural diamonds behind Russia and has unearthed all the world's largest stones in recent years. Despite this, the people of Botswana have been complaining that they are being oppressed by large mining companies. President Masisi has also been asking the mining companies to give the country more shares in the profits derived from minerals.
