The world's third-largest diamond!

In June 2021, the diamond industry made a breakthrough!

A huge gemstone has been found in the Botswana town of Jwaneng by the Debswana Diamond Company. The Debswana Diamond Company is a joint venture between the Botswana government and diamond manufacturer De Beers, the world's largest producer of diamonds by value.

The Jwaneng mine is one of the world's largest.

This find is 1,098 carats, the size of the diamond is quite impressive, measuring 73 mm long, 52 mm wide and 27 mm thick, the diamond has an approximate value of 47 million euros. To date, this diamond has not yet been given a name, and ranks as the third largest stone discovered in the world. In its 50 years of existence and activity, the Debswana company had never laid its hands on such a precious stone.

The world's largest diamond comes from South Africa. Its size of 3,106 carats is unprecedented in the industry. One of the pear-shaped pieces adorns the imperial sceptre of the British crown. The name of the world's largest diamond is the Cullinan, after Thomas Cullinan, who discovered it in 1905.

The world's second-largest diamond was discovered later, in 2015, also in Botswana. Similar to the size of a tennis ball, this stone, named Lesedi La Rona, is 1,109 carats.

The three largest diamonds. From left to right: the Cullinan, the Lesedi La Rona and the third discovered in June.

Botswana is Africa's leading diamond producer. In fact, it exports 90% of its rare pieces. This new stone comes at just the right time after a difficult year for the diamond industry, with the country heavily dependent on this sector. Production at Debswana fell by 29% in 2020, with 16.6 million carats, compared with 23.3 million in 2019. Sales also fell by 30%, to $2.1 billion.

Debswana has therefore specified that the price of the diamond will be set in such a way as to favor the people of Botswana as much as possible. A precise valuation of the diamond is expected in the coming weeks. For the time being, Debswana does not know whether the diamond will be sold by De Beers or by Okavango Diamond, a diamond dealer with rights to Debswana's stones.

"This diamond brings hope to a struggling nation."

- Lynette Armstrong, Managing Director, Debswana Diamond Company