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An Amazing Diamond Found in Botswana
At Hard Carbon Inc. we are always researching the newest diamond developments and discoveries. An exciting announcement occurred this summer when an estimated 1,098 carat diamond was found in Botswana. Due to its incredible size this stone has been deemed the third largest diamond ever found! The massive gem was found at the Karowe Diamond Mine and measures an incredible 82.2 x 42.8 x 34.2 mm and is a Type IIa white gem of high quality.
Owned by the Lucara Diamond Company, the mine in Botswana has produced some of the largest diamonds every found; a 1,080-carat diamond in 2015 and a 1,758 carat diamond in 2019 alone. The Type IIa classification is incredibly rare and highly sought after. Type IIa diamonds are often colorless, contain no nitrogen or boron and tend to be of very high quality. Improvements in mining technology have allowed for companies like Lucara to extract these large diamonds intact; it is believed that previously large diamonds had been inadvertently broken in the mining process.
Interestingly Type II diamonds, while very rare, are some of the most famous diamonds in the world. Type I diamonds are quite common but tend to be full of nitrogen whereas it is nearly impossible to detect nitrogen in the Type II classification. Type II diamonds have high thermal conductivity and are consider the purest of diamond types. While Type II can contain colour the absence of any trace chemical they are often clear. To understand their value, only 1%-2% of mined diamonds are Type IIa diamonds.
At Hard Carbon Inc. we have a global network of specialists who advise our clients on the best places to source and sell diamonds. Botswana is a very important country in the diamond market whose citizens depend deeply on this natural resource. Starting in the 1950’s Botswana’s economy grew rapidly through the 1980’s based largely on their mining capabilities; in fact, they have the highest GDP per capita for all of Africa. Diamonds make up 90% of the country’s exports. Deeply impacted negatively by COVID this newest discovery is a great boon to the country and its people. The Botswana government, who provide free education for all children from elementary through high school, will receive up to 80% of the profits from the sale of this tremendous diamond.
Type II diamonds count for some of the world’s largest, and most famous, diamonds. The Hope Diamond, the Cullinan and the Lesedi La Rona are all Type II diamonds.
The Cullinan diamond, named after the owner of the mine where it was found, remains the largest diamond every found. Before it was cut it weighed a whopping 3,106 carats and was the size of a human heart! Fascinating the massive stone was literally plucked with a pen knife from the side of the mine. At first it was thought to be a crystal due to its size – but it was, in fact, a diamond. Discovered in 1905 it was gifted to King Edward VII of England in 1907. The decision was made to cut the massive stone into nine, smaller, but still major, diamonds. The diamonds were named the Cullinan 1 through XI, the Cullinan II is the centrepiece of the Imperial State Crown.
The Lesedi La Rona is the fourth largest diamond every found, it was also found in Botswana in 2015. Uncut it weighed over 1,000 carats, four years later the British jeweller Graff had it cut into one large emerald cut diamond which ended up weighing 302.37 carats. The remaining diamond was then cut into 66 smaller stones. The Lesedi La Rona was found using the same technology as the recent discovery, an LDR XRT machine which is able to detect large diamonds through x-rays. The Lesedi La Rona is over 2 billion years old!
Whether you are new to investing in diamonds or are an experienced investor we always recommend working with a reputable retailer when sourcing diamonds for purchase. At Hard Carbon Inc. we have worked for decades to determine the best source for fancy colored diamonds. Due to our extensive network of global clients we can match prospective sellers with buyers and vice versa. We only source the highest quality diamonds and can find the perfect gem for you, whether you want it for immediate use in a piece of jewellery or for pure investment purposes. Type IIa diamonds are some of the most valuable diamonds on worth and one in which we have extensive experience sourcing. If you are interested in investing in this rare and valuable type of diamond get in touch today to start your investment journey.