Botswana diamond firm Debswana claimed to have unearthed a 1,098-carat gemstone that it described as the third largest of its kind in the world and also the largest ever recovered by this company. The stone, found on June 1, was shown to President Mokgweetsi Masisi in the capital, Gaborone.
The gem measures 73 x 52 x 27 mm.
It is the third largest in the world, behind the 3,106-carat Cullinan and the 1,106-carat Lesedi La Rona discovered in Botswana in 2015.
Regarding the largest diamond in the world, Cullinan, at 3,106 carats, was found in 1905 near Pretoria, South Africa. It was found by Frederick Wells , surface manager for the Premier Diamond Mining Company in Cullinan Town. Cut into various polished gems, two of them, the Greater Star of Africa and the Lesser Star of Africa, became part of the Crown Jewels of Great Britain (in the Tower of London).
The Debswana company plans to increase production by up to 38% from pre-pandemic levels, as the global diamond market recovers with the easing of travel restrictions and the reopening of jewelry stores.
