Botswana has unearthed a diamond believed to be the third-largest in the world.

The precious stone weighing 1,098 carats was shown to Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi, two weeks after, Debswana, a diamond unearthing firm, found it.

diamond

Botswana is Africa’s largest producer of diamonds.

The gem is only slightly less heavy than the world’s second-largest diamond which was also found in Botswana in 2015.

Debswana says the diamond is 73mm long, 52mm wide and 27mm thick.

“This is the largest diamond to be recovered by Debswana in its history of over 50 years in operation,” said Lynette Armstrong, Debswana Diamond Company’s acting managing director.

“From our preliminary analysis it could be the world’s third largest gem quality stone.”

An estimate of the stone’s potential cost has not yet been released but in 2017, the second-largest diamond ever found in Botswana, Lesedi La Rona, was sold for $53m (£39.5m).

The biggest diamond ever discovered in history was the 3,106 carat Cullinan diamond found in South Africa in 1905.

Ms Armstrong said a decision had not yet been taken on whether to sell the “rare and extraordinary stone” though De Beers or through the state-owned Okavango Diamond Company.

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