A MINER has unearthed the world’s largest diamond of the year.
An expert claims the high-quality rock could be worth up to $25,098,822.
The rare 442-carat stone was discovered by an employee of Gem Diamonds Ltd. at its Letšeng mine in Lesotho, Africa.
Gem Diamonds is known for consistently recovering large high-quality diamonds, particularly at the Letšeng mine.
In 2018, the company recovered an exceptionally high quality 910-carat diamond, dubbed the “Lesotho Legend”.
In a statement issued on Friday, Gem Diamonds CEO Clifford Elphick was elated by the discovery.
“The recovery of this remarkable 442-carat diamond, one of the world’s largest gem quality diamonds to be recovered this year, is further confirmation of the calibre of the Letšeng mine and its ability to consistently produce large, high quality diamonds,” Mr Elphick said.
“It is also a fitting testament to the dedication of the employees in the Group to have recovered such an extraordinary diamond.”
The discovery comes at a hard time for the diamond industry, which has been upended globally as a result of the pandemic.
Despite this, Gem Diamonds announced a portion of the proceeds from the diamond’s sale will go towards funding a community project with the Government of Lesotho.
(COMPILED BY 9NEWS STAFF)
