By Prince Kurupati
Over a century back, in 1905, the largest diamond in the world, the 3,106-carat Cullinan Diamond, was found. Since then, no other diamond that rivals this diamond in size has been found. However, on August 21, 2024, that all changed as a massive 2,492-carat diamond was found at the Karowe Diamond Mine in Botswana. The discovery automatically made the diamond the biggest to date in Botswana and the second-biggest diamond in the world.
The Karowe Diamond Mine, where the big diamond was discovered, is owned and operated by Canadian firm Lucara Diamond Corp. Lucara was the first to announce the news on its official website, stating it is “thrilled to announce the recovery of an exceptional 2,492-carat diamond”.
Aiding the discovery was the company’s unique X-ray Transmission technology. “The remarkable find, one of the largest rough diamonds ever unearthed, was detected and recovered by the Company’s Mega Diamond Recovery (“MDR”) X-ray Transmission (“XRT”) technology, installed in 2017 to identify and preserve large, high-value diamonds,” Lucara stated.
The company went on to state that the stone was recovered from the processing of EM/PK(S) kimberlite, the dominant ore type that Lucara will continue to target during the first year of the Company’s underground mining operations.
Ecstatic about the discovery, Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi will today (August 22, 2024) conduct a viewing ceremony at the Office of the President. The news was relayed via a media invitation sent by the Deputy Permanent Secretary of Government Communication, William Sentshebeng.
The action taken by President Masisi has been praised as a sign of transparency in the country’s resources. Allowing the media and the country at large to know about the discovery means that the proceeds of the diamond will be traceable and, hence, cannot be used to fill the pockets of a select few. ‘X’ user Thando Khumalo said, “At least the Batswana can rest easy knowing that there is transparency and the revenue that will be generated from it will go to the country.”
Juxtaposing the recent discovery with the discovery of the Chiyadzwa diamond field in Zimbabwe, most users who took to social media platforms said President Masisi’s move is exemplary, unlike what happened in Zimbabwe, where diamonds were unearthed but their value and expected returns were never exposed. Some sarcastically called upon former Zimbabwe mines minister Obert Mpofu to take a trip to Botswana to see the big diamond and familiarize himself with what diamonds look like. This came after the former mines minister claimed he had never seen a diamond in his life during a graft oversight hearing where he was alleged to be involved in corruption.
Speaking on the discovery of the big diamond, William Lamb, President and CEO of Lucara, said, “We are ecstatic about the recovery of this extraordinary 2,492-carat diamond. This find not only showcases the remarkable potential of our Karowe Mine but also upholds our strategic investment in cutting-edge XRT technology. The ability to recover such a massive, high-quality stone intact demonstrates the effectiveness of our approach to diamond recovery and our commitment to maximizing value for our shareholders and stakeholders.”
