Enormous Diamond Discovered In African Mine
In the southern African kingdom of Lesotho, miners from Gem Diamonds mining group have found one of the largest diamonds in the world. The white gem is nearly flawless with a weight of nearly five-hundred carats.
After being discovered in the Letseng Mine on September eight, the gem was taken for examination by experts in Antwerp who stated that the weight was 478 carats with hardly any inclusions and of excellent color and clarity.
The company said, “It has the potential to yield one of the largest flawless D color round polished diamonds in history.”
Letseng is knwon to be one of the most productive mines in history, producing four of the world’s twenty most massive rough diamonds in history, including the three largest found this century.
It is difficult to value the diamond before it is cut into gems, although a spokesman for Gem Diamonds said a similar weight stone with lesser-wuality color and clarity had lately been sold for $12 million.
Clifford Elphick, chief executive of Gem Diamonds stated, “Preliminary examination of this remarkable diamond indicates that it will yield a record breaking polished stone of the very best color and clarity.”
Gem diamonds owns 70% of Letseng. The government of Lesotho owns the other thirty percent.
The Cullinan, which was discovered in South Africa i 1905, is still the world’s largest diamond since. The diamond weighed over 1,300 carats before being cut up into over one hundred separate gems. Most of those gems are a part of the British crown jewels.