A diamond unearthed in the southern African nation of Lesotho could yield one of the largest and highest quality round polished diamonds, according to a statement Monday from company that found it.
Experts in Antwerp, Belgium who analyzed the 478-carat stone determined it to be of the highest color grading available for a white diamond, said a statement from Gem Diamonds Ltd., the company that found the stone.
�What makes it more remarkable is the color and quality of this stone,� said diamond consultant Neil Buxton.
�It�s a D color, which is the highest possible graded color you can get, and we believe there is a chance - a very good chance - of getting a 100-carat plus� round stone with the highest color and clarity rankings.
The company said such a stone would �to the best of our knowledge� be �the first one in history.� The diamond, which was found in September, ranks as the 20th largest rough diamond ever found, but is not the biggest ever taken from the Letseng Mine, which is co-owned by Gem Diamonds Ltd. and the Kingdom of Lesotho, a country of 2.1 million that is surrounded by South Africa.
Two bigger stones - 603 and 493 carats - were found in the mine in 2006 and 2007, respectively, the company said. A 601-carat diamond was mined there in 1960, it said.
No comments:
Post a Comment