Lucara Diamond Corp. has announced the discovery of a 2,492-carat diamond from its Karowe mine in Botswana. This find is being hailed as one of the largest diamonds ever recovered.
The diamond was found while processing kimberlite from the EM/PK(S) section of Karowe’s south lobe, an area known for producing large, valuable diamonds. The company used its advanced X-ray transmission (XRT) technology, which was installed in 2017, to detect and extract large diamonds without damaging them. Lucara plans to continue mining in this area during the early stages of its underground operations.
This newly discovered diamond surpasses Lucara’s previous notable finds, including the 1,758-carat Sewelô and the 1,109-carat Lesedi La Rona. The largest gem-quality rough diamond ever discovered is the Cullinan Diamond, which weighed 3,106 carats and was found in South Africa in 1905.
William Lamb, Lucara’s CEO, expressed excitement about the discovery. “We are thrilled with the recovery of this extraordinary 2,492-carat diamond,” Lamb said. “This find highlights the incredible potential of our Karowe mine and reinforces our investment in advanced XRT technology. Recovering such a large, high-quality diamond intact proves our approach to diamond recovery is highly effective.”
Lucara is expected to sell the diamond to HB Antwerp under its offtake agreement, which covers all rough diamonds above 10.8 carats.
