One of the Largest Diamonds Ever was just Unearthed!
February 22nd, 2016
(Photo Credit: Lucapa Diamond Company)
One of the largest diamonds ever —yes, one of the largest diamonds ever- was just found in the southern African country of Angola. The essentially flawless rock, at an astounding 404.2 carats, is almost 3 inches wide -the width of a credit card. The Australian diamond mining company, Lucapa Diamond Company, unearthed what is now officially the largest diamond ever discovered in Angola and 27th largest diamond in the world.
This diamond is not only huge, but it is also a rare Type Ila rating, 2nd from the highest rating possible for diamonds. This rate of diamonds "make up only 1 to 2% of the world's diamonds and contain very little to no nitrogen atoms. Pure diamonds are comprised of rigid carbon lattices, however, most diamonds have imperfections including nitrogen atoms. A typical Type IIa diamond will command a 5 to 15% premium and could be more in rarer large diamonds" (Forbes.)
(Photo Credit: Lucapa Diamond Company)
"The diamond was found by the Lulo Diamond Project, a partnership between Lucapa, Endiama — Angola's national diamond company — and a private investor. The area the Lulo project has been mining has produced more than 60 large diamonds since the trio began exploring the region in 2015, Lucapa said" (ABC News.)
It is estimated that this diamond could be worth upwards of $14.2 million, however, Lucapa plans to sell the diamond to fund further exploration and expansion at the Angola diamond mine where this one was found.
