A remarkable 2,492-carat diamond, the second-largest ever found, has been uncovered in Botswana at a mine owned by Canadian company Lucara Diamond. This discovery is the largest since the 3,106-carat Cullinan diamond, which was unearthed in South Africa in 1905 and later cut into nine separate stones, several of which now form part of the British Crown Jewels.

The massive diamond was discovered at the Karowe mine, located about 500 kilometers (300 miles) north of Botswana’s capital city, Gaborone. According to Botswana's government, this is the largest diamond ever found within the country.

Previously, the biggest diamond discovered in Botswana was a 1,758-carat stone, also found at the Karowe mine in 2019. Botswana is among the world’s top diamond producers, accounting for around 20% of global production.

In a statement, Lucara Diamond confirmed that the gem is "one of the largest rough diamonds ever discovered." William Lamb, the head of Lucara, expressed excitement over the find, saying, "We are thrilled with the recovery of this extraordinary 2,492-carat diamond."

The diamond was detected using Lucara's Mega Diamond Recovery X-ray technology, a system implemented in 2017 to help identify and protect large, valuable diamonds from damage during the ore-crushing process.

Details regarding the gem's quality and value were not disclosed. The 1,758-carat diamond discovered in 2019 was purchased by luxury fashion brand Louis Vuitton for an undisclosed amount. In 2017, a 1,109-carat diamond found in 2016 at the same mine was sold for $53 million (£39.5 million) to Laurence Graff, chairman of Graff Diamonds.

Lucara Diamond holds full ownership of the Karowe mine. Recently, Botswana’s government proposed legislation requiring companies granted mining licenses to sell a 24% stake to local businesses if the government chooses not to become a shareholder, according to a report from Reuters last month.