Video above: Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi remarks on the finding of the diamond.
A Canadian mining company announced they recovered the largest diamond in over a century this past week.
Lucara Diamond Corp. confirmed the “exceptional” finding of a 2,492-carat diamond from the Karowe Diamond Mine in Botswana on Wednesday.
The jewel was described by Lucara as “one of the largest rough diamonds ever unearthed.”
It’s not the first time a large diamond has been found at the Karowe Mine. According to Lucara officials, a 1,758-carat diamond and a 1,109-carat diamond have also been recovered from the same area.
The company used their Mega Diamond Recovery X-Ray Transmission technology – which was implemented in 2017 with the aim of identifying and preserving large, high-value diamonds – to detect and recover the gem.
“This find not only showcases the remarkable potential of our Karowe Mine, but also upholds our strategic investment in cutting-edge XRT technology,” Lucara President and CEO William Lamb said in a news release.
Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi posted a video to his official Facebook page on Thursday that depicts him ogling at the massive diamond.
“[This shows] how important mining is to Botswana…it means everything to us,” President Masisi said. “Well done, really, this is precious.”
Officials said it was too early to value the stone or decide how it would be sold, Associated Press reported.
The largest diamond ever recovered is the 3,106-carat Cullinan Diamond, which was discovered in modern day South Africa in 1905. Most of it is part of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom.