The largest diamonds discovered this century have been found in only a few locations. While Botswana and the Kingdom of Lesotho continue to yield great treasures. Canada has also put itself on the map with by far the most significant find in the relatively short history of diamond mining. While the Peace diamond was a symbolic turning point for Sierra Leone's miners.
The top 15 stones discovered this century that have secured their place in diamond history
1. The 1.758-carat Sewelô diamond
The second largest diamond in history and the largest ever found in Botswana was discovered in April 2019 at the Lucara Karowe diamond mine. Dubbed The Sewelô, it weighed 1,758 carats. Second only to the historic 3,107-carat Cullinan diamond discovered in South Africa more than a century ago. But that's where the similarities end, because Sewelô was a very different kind of diamond. The tennis ball-sized stone, whose name in the local Szechuan language is Setswana is “rare find”. It was covered with a thin layer of carbon, giving it a frosty grey appearance and hiding the potential it contained deep inside.
In a surprise move to many in the industry, this most unusual diamond is said to have been bought by Louis Vuitton “for millions” in early 2020. It is the first major stone acquired by the famous French house, which is best known for its logoed leather goods. Louis Vuitton is working with the mining company that made the discovery. Also with the diamond manufacturer responsible for cutting and polishing the stone, to create a collection of diamonds they have yet to showcase.
2. A 1,174-carat diamond from Karowe, Botswana
The diamond that is second on the list along with several other stones also comes from the Karowe mine in Botswana. The discovery by mining company Lucara Diamond Corporation in June 2021. This 1,174-carat rough diamond is believed to be the third largest diamond ever found. Although it could be even bigger, if experts are to be believed. The plum-sized gemstone was found at the same time as many other important diamonds. With stones weighing 67 carats, 86 carats, 88 carats and 148 carats . Therefore, Lucara believes that this record stone is part of an even larger diamond that is not yet accessible to her miners.
In addition to the impressive size, the colour of the 1,174-carat diamond is also very attractive. According to Lucara's managing director Eira Thomas, a few large top-colored diamonds will likely be produced. The miner has partnered with HB Antwerp, a Belgian diamond cutting company, to turn this rough diamond into precious treated stones.
3. The 1,109-carat Lesedi La Rona diamond
The discovery of the Lesedi La Rona diamond at the Lucara Karowe mine in Botswana in 2015 was a significant moment. Weighing 1,109 carats, it immediately made history as the largest gem-quality diamond discovered since the discovery of the Cullinan diamond in 1905. Even more amazingly, it was identified as a Type IIa diamond. Type IIa is only 1-2% of all the diamonds they have found. The most chemically pure of all diamonds, Type IIa stones are virtually impurity-free. Which made the prospect of cutting and polishing this epic stone even more exciting.
Lesedi La Rona certainly ended up in the right hands. It was bought by the famous London diamond dealer Laurence Graff for $53 million. Mr. Graff during his lifetime has acquired more significant diamonds than any other jeweler. He spent 18 months cutting and polishing the 1,109-carat Lesedi La Rona. This presented a magnificent collection of 67 diamonds. Among them the historic 302.37 carat D-colored Graff Lesedi La Rona diamond. It was the largest diamond with the highest color and clarity ever certified by the GIA. Also the largest square-cut emerald-cut diamond in the world.
4. A 1,098.3 carat diamond from Jwaneng, Botswana
June 2021 was a memorable month at the Jwaneng diamond mine in Botswana. It marked the discovery of a diamond weighing 1,098.3 carats. This important stone was presented by Debswana. A joint venture between diamond mining company De Beers Group and the Botswana government.
When they discovered the stone, they said it was the third largest gem-quality diamond they had ever found. Although that title was lost just a week later by a 1,174-carat find 400 kilometers to the north. Despite being somewhat robbed of its glory, the diamond - which is nearly three inches long, two inches wide and one inch thick - remains the largest find in Debswana's 50-year history.
Its previous record stone, discovered in 1993, was less than half the size, 466 carats. Debswana says she hopes to find more large diamonds in the future. She has invested heavily in modern technology that will make it easier for diamond miners to locate large diamonds and bring them safely to the surface without breaking them.
5. A 998-carat diamond from Karowe, Botswana
In November 2020 the world was still in the grip of a global pandemic. But miners at the famously productive Karowe diamond mine in Botswana made another stunning discovery. This time, the depths of the mine, operated by Lucara Diamond Corporation, yielded a brilliant 998-carat rough diamond with a high white colour. For those adept at visualizing the numerical measurements, the stone measured 67mm by 49mm by 45mm.
It was a wonderful find that ended a successful year for the mine. In 2020, a 549-carat diamond was found at Karowe. But also more than 30 diamonds weighing at least 100 carats and another 10 that exceeded 200 carats. Although the 998-carat stone was a record-breaking large-size find, it didn't stay that way for long. Its fate, according to Lucara, was to be broken down to make many smaller diamonds.
6. The 910 carat Lesotho Legend diamond
The Letšeng mine in the Kingdom of Lesotho, South Africa, along with the Karowe mine in Botswana, consistently produces some of the highest quality diamonds in the world. In 2018, Gem Diamonds, the mine's owner, unveiled its largest diamond discovery to date. A 910-carat rough diamond the size of two golf balls. Dubbed Lesotho Legend, the huge diamond was identified as a top D color and type IIa diamond. This made it one of the purest and most valuable diamonds in the world. The diamond was sold the same year to the French jewelry house Van Cleef & Arpels for $40 million.
The jeweller in collaboration with Diamcad, an Antwerp-based diamond cutting company, cut the rough diamond. He split it into 67 diamonds weighing a total of 441.75 carats. The diamond lost more than half its original weight during the cutting process. The resulting diamonds were placed in a 25-piece high jewelry collection Legend of Diamonds, which was released in 2022. The larger stones include a 79.35-carat oval diamond and a 51.14-carat emerald cut diamond.
7. The 813-carat Constellation I
In an incredible year for Lucara, the Canadian diamond company that owns the Karowe mine, a second huge rough diamond was found in Botswana in 2015. They called it The Constellation and it weighed 813 carats. Like Lesedi La Rona and Lesotho Legend, it was also an extremely pure Type IIa diamond. In 2016, it was sold to Dubai-based Nemesis International. But its fate was unknown until 2019. But Nemesis revealed a stunning 313-carat emerald-cut diamond at the Dubai Diamond Conference.
During its presentation, Nemesis said the newly named Constellation I diamond was not only the largest D-colored diamond ever graded by the GIA. But it was also the first major stone manufactured in the UAE. With most of the cutting and polishing being carried out in the region.
8. The 709-carat peace diamond.
Of all the stones in the 15 stone set, the Irene diamond stands out as the luckiest find of all. Many locals in Sierra Leone seek diamonds as a way of making a living. In 2017, a team of artisanal diggers hired by Pastor Emmanuel Momoh got lucky in Koryardu, a village without running water or electricity.
While sifting sand in a muddy mining pond, one of the miners stumbled upon a diamond. It was so big that no one thought it could be genuine. He confirmed that the 709-carat yellow diamond, which measured 2.5 inches wide and 1 inch deep, was indeed real. But the pastor ignored offers to smuggle the stone from Sierra Leone and instead took it directly to the government.
The government wanted to right the wrongs of years of unscrupulous mining practices in Sierra Leone. So it announced that it would sell the diamond and others that followed through legitimate channels in a completely transparent manner. So they called it the Peace Diamond because a portion of the proceeds from its sale would directly benefit the community in which the miners lived. The 709-carat stone was sold by jeweler and diamond dealer Laurence Graff for $6.5 million in December 2017.
