Lesedi La Rona
 The Karowe AK6 in 2015 | |
| Weight | 1,111 carats (222.2 g; 7.84 oz) |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 65 mm × 56 mm × 40 mm (2.6 in × 2.2 in × 1.6 in) |
| Color | Colorless/white, type IIa |
| Cut | Raw |
| Country of origin |  Botswana |
| Mine of origin | Karowe mine |
| Discovered | 16 November 2015 |
| Owner | Lucara Diamond |
Karowe AK6 is the second-largest gem-quality diamond ever found, after the Cullinan (and the third-largest diamond ever found, after the black Sergio and the Cullinan). It was found in the Karowe mine in Botswana on 16 November 2015. It weighs 1,111 carats (222.2 g; 7.84 oz) and is "nearly the size of a tennis ball".[1]
Description
The Karowe AK6 is a colorless/white,[1] type IIa diamond.[2] It weighs 1,111 carats and measures 65 mm × 56 mm × 40 mm (2.6 in × 2.2 in × 1.6 in). In size, it is second only to the Cullinan, discovered in 1905 in South Africa, which weighed 3,106.75 carats.[3][4] The Karowe AK6 was mined using Large Diamond Recovery ("LDR") XRT machines,[2] and is the largest diamond recovered using machines.[1]
It was found on 16 November 2015,[5] and the find was announced on 18 November.[2] A day later, two more diamonds weighing 813 and 374 carats were also found in the mine.[6][7] Since the AK6 pipe was opened 18 months earlier, it has yielded over 1 million carats of diamonds.[8]
The stone proved too big for the company's own scanners, so it will probably be sent to Antwerp, Belgium, for assessment.[5]
Find location
It was found in the south lobe of Canadian company Lucara Diamond's Karowe mine about 500 km (310 mi) north of Gaborone in Botswana.[7][2] The mine is located in the Letlhakane region, where it shares the three diamond-producing kimberlites of Orapa, Letlhakane and Damtshaa, with the Debswana Diamond Company Ltd.[8] The first diamond from the mine was retrieved in 2012. Botswana, South Africa, and Namibia are the world's three top producers of mined diamonds.[1]
Value
The exact value of the stone cannot be determined until it is decided how it will be cut and more details about its color are known. Former diamond-mining geologist Phil Swinfen estimates, based on other similar sales, that the stone could be sold for $40–60 million.[1]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e MacDonald, Alex (19 November 2015). "World's Second-Largest Diamond Discovered in Botswana". www.wsj.com. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 20 November 2015.
- ^ a b c d News release. "Lucara makes diamond history recovers 1,111 carat diamond" (PDF). www.lucaradiamond.com. Lucara Diamond. Retrieved 20 November 2015.
- ^ "Second largest gem quality diamond ever found recovered in Botswana". www.telegraph.co.uk. The Telegraph. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
- ^ MacDonald, Alex (19 November 2015). "World's Second-Largest Diamond Discovered in Botswana". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
- ^ a b "Biggest diamond in 100 years adds $150 million to miner". www.cnn.com. CNN. 19 November 2015. Retrieved 20 November 2015.
- ^ "News". www.lucaradiamond.com. Retrieved 20 November 2015.
- ^ a b "World's second-largest diamond 'found in Botswana'". www.bbc.com. BBC. Retrieved 20 November 2015.
- ^ a b Cornish, Laura (27 May 2015). "Lucara Diamonds looks for buyers for 342 carat in July exceptional stone tender". www.miningreview.com. Spintelligent (Pty) Ltd. Retrieved 20 November 2015.