BUSINESS
’s Werelds op drie na grootste diamant gevonden
June 17, 2021 - The 1,098-carat diamond, unearthed in Botswana by the Debswana company, could be the third largest of its kind ever discovered.
The stone was shown to President Mokgweetsi Masisi, two weeks after the diamond firm, Debswana, unearthed it.
“This is the largest diamond to be recovered by Debswana in its history of over 50 years in operation,” said Lynette Armstrong, Debswana Diamond Company's acting managing director.
Considering only white diamonds, the fresh discovery would be the world’s third-largest.
The biggest diamond ever discovered was the 3,106 carat Cullinan diamond found in South Africa in 1905.
Production at Debswana – a joint venture between Anglo American’s De Beers and
the Botswanan government – fell by 29% in 2020 to 16.6m carats, while sales were down 30%, to $2.1bn, as the pandemic affected production and demand.