LONDON — A London auctioneer says a diamond the size of a tennis ball that was unearthed by a Vancouver-based mining company could sell for more than $70 million US.
Sotheby's says it will offer the Lesedi la Rona diamond in London on June 29.
The diamond was unearthed in November in Botswana at a mine owned by Lucara Diamond Corp. (TSX:LUC). It measured 1,109 carats, the second-largest gem-quality rough diamond ever discovered.
Its name means "our light" in the Tswana language. It is the largest discovered in more than a century.
The auctioneer said Wednesday that the rough gemstone could yield the largest top-quality diamond ever cut and polished.
Last year, Lucara sold a 341.9-carat diamond of the same type for US$20.55 million.
The largest diamond ever found was the 3,106-carat Cullinan diamond, unearthed in South Africa in 1905. It was cut into nine pieces that form part of the U.K. Crown Jewels.
LESEDI LA RONA AMONG LARGEST DIAMONDS EVER FOUND
LONDON — The 1,109-carat Lesedi la Rona diamond, to be sold by Sotheby's in London on June 29, is one of the biggest gem-quality diamonds ever discovered. It joins an elite list of hefty rocks:
1. Cullinan Diamond, 3,106.75 carats. Discovered in South Africa in 1905.
2. Lesedi la Rona, 1,109 carats. Discovered in Botswana in 2015.
3. Excelsior, 995.2 carats. Discovered in South Africa in 1893.
4. Star of Sierra Leone, 969 carats. Discovered in Sierra Leone in 1972.
5. Incomparable Diamond, 890 carats. Discovered in Democratic Republic of Congo in the 1980s.
