"Destined to Shatter Without a Name"... 2500-Carat Record-Breaking Diamond Humiliation

2492-Carat Diamond Discovered in Africa
Rarity Diminished by Technological Advances
Most Remain Nameless

Photo unrelated to the article. Photo by Pixabay

Canadian mining company Lucara announced on the 21st of last month (local time) that a 2,492-carat (498.4g) diamond was mined in Botswana, Africa. The diamond was discovered at the Karowe mine, located about 430 km north of Gaborone, the capital of Botswana. At the time, it was known as the largest rough diamond ever mined. William Lamb, Lucara's CEO, also expressed his delight, saying, "We are very pleased to have discovered this amazing diamond," and added, "This event will contribute to making the Karowe mine a world-class diamond mine and will continuously drive our operational and underground development strategies." Some experts estimated its value to be over 50 billion won, citing similar past cases.

However, the American media outlet The Hill reported on the 31st of last month (local time) that the diamond is at risk of being cut without even receiving a name. It is expected to be cut into several stones and either sold to companies or stored in collectors' safes. With advancements in X-ray mining technology, large diamonds are now more easily discovered than before, and artificial facets that reflect light can be created, leading to a gradual loss of the diamond's unique rarity.

Consequently, interest in diamonds has also declined. The golf ball-sized white diamond discovered in South Africa in 2002 was sold to an anonymous buyer for $33 million at a Christie's auction in 2022. However, this diamond was simply named "The Rock." The 342-carat diamond found in 1980 is still owned by the Russian government and is named after the "26th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union." In fact, most recently discovered diamonds often do not even receive names.

Meanwhile, the largest rough diamond ever discovered is the 3,106-carat stone mined in South Africa in 1905 and gifted to the British monarch in 1907. It was cut into nine large stones and about 100 smaller stones, some of which were included in the royal jewelry collection.