Second-largest diamond ever unearthed found in Botswana: 'Remarkable find'

A 2,492 carat diamond was unearthed at Botswana's famed Karowe mine this week by Canada's Lucara Diamond, making it one of the largest stones to be excavated to date.

Lucara Diamond, in a press release Wednesday, said the " exceptional 2,492 carat diamond " was a "remarkable find," and "one of the largest rough diamonds ever unearthed." It was recovered using the company's "Mega Diamond Recovery ("MDR") X-ray Transmission ("XRT") technology, installed in 2017 to identify and preserve large, high-value diamonds."

While Lucara did not reveal the stone's gem quality, Reuters reported its size would make it the second largest diamond to be unearthed to date, after the 3,106 carat Cullinan Diamond, which was discovered in neighboring South Africa in 1905.

The Cullinan Diamond became a part of the British Crown jewels after being cut and polished.

"This latest recovery joins an impressive roster of other significant finds from the mine, including the 1,758 carat Sewelô and the 1,109 carat Lesedi La Rona," the company said in its press release.

Prior to the discovery, the 1,758-carat stone Sewelô was the largest diamond discovered in Botswana, according to Al-Jazeera . It was also mined at the Karowe mine in 2019.

The government of Botswana said the diamond was the largest ever discovered in the southern African state, according to BBC News .

'Extraordinary diamond'

President and CEO of Lucara, William Lamb, said the company is "ecstatic about the recovery of this extraordinary 2,492 carat diamond," adding the "discovery reinforces Karowe's position as a truly world-class diamond mine."

Lucara has complete ownership of the Karowe mine, which has been in production since 2012, the company said on its website.

Lucara is expected to present the diamond to Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi on Thursday, according to Reuters.

Botswana is one of the biggest producers of diamonds in the world, accounting for about 20% of global production, a report by GlobalData says. The southern African country last month proposed a law that will ask mining companies, once granted a license, to sell a 24% stake in mines to local investors unless the government exercises its option to acquire the shareholding, Reuters reported.

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Second-largest diamond ever unearthed found in Botswana: 'Remarkable find'