GABORONE, BOTSWANA – A diamond larger than 1,000 carats, which may be the third largest in mining history, was discovered in Botswana, Africa.
The high-quality gemstone, weighing 1,098.3 carats, was mined earlier this month at the Jwaneng mine owned by Debswana, a government-owned mining company and the De Beers Group.
With the introduction of this wonderful high-tech diamond discovery factory, I hope we will be able to find more large diamonds, ”said Lynette Armstrong, the company’s interim director.
“This is a great metallurgical achievement, by all standards of extracting a diamond of this size intact through our conventional factory,” she said.
The diamond – 73x52x27 millimeters – is the largest high-quality diamond found in Debswana mines in the company’s more than 50-year history, she said. Diamonds were discovered in Botswana in 1967, while the Debswana company was formed in 1969.
The last diamond found at the Jwaneng mine in 1993 was a 446-carat stone, she said.
The big diamond is good news for Botswana’s economy, which has experienced a significant downturn during the COVID-19 pandemic. Diamonds account for about two-thirds of Botswana’s export earnings.
