Diamond Believed to Be the World's Third Largest Unearthed in Botswana

Photo: MONIRUL BHUIYAN/AFP via Getty

A 1,098-carat diamond, believed to be the third largest on the planet, has beenunearthed in Botswana.

TheJwaneng mine— which opened in 1982 — typically produces between 12.5 million and 15 million carats of diamonds per year, according toDebswana.

MONIRUL BHUIYAN/AFP via Getty

“We are yet to make a decision on whether to sell it through the De Beers channel or through the state owned Okavango Diamond Company,” Armstrong added.

The Botswana Government, however, wrote in astatementon social media that any proceeds from the gem will “be used to advance national development in the country,” as is the norm, according to President Masisi.

“Debswana should use this latest discovery as an inflection point, for the mine to use its technology to realize more of these large discoveries,” the government added.

source: people.com