14 DAY TRIAL // According to the mining company Gem Diamonds, miners in the Lesotho region of South Africa recently came upon a near-flawless diamond weighing approximately 500 carats, one of the largest ever discovered.
The shiny stone was unearthed on September 8 from the Letseng mine, and the experts in Antwerp claim it has precisely 478 carats and astonishing clarity and color, with very few inclusions. As they say, "It has the potential to yield one of the largest flawless D color round polished diamonds in history." Clifford Elphick, the Gem Diamonds chief executive, claims that "Preliminary examination of this remarkable diamond indicates that it will yield a record breaking polished stone of the very best color and clarity."
The 3 km (10.000 feet)-long Letseng mine, which is owned 70% by Gem Diamonds and 30% by the government of Lesotho, is among the most productive mines of this kind in the world. Four of the largest twenty rough diamonds in history, including the three biggest found this century, had come from there. Monyane Moleleki, the minister for natural resources in Lesotho, states: "Once again Letseng has proved its ability to produce extraordinary diamonds and continues to place Lesotho at the forefront of diamond producing countries."
It is difficult to evaluate the exact price of the diamond prior to its being cut into gems, but a Gem Diamonds spokesman shared that previously, a stone of about the same weight but with a lesser-quality clarity and color had been sold for $12 million (around 8.2 million Euros). Thus, the record held by Cullinan, the most massive diamond found up to date, remains unchallenged. Found in 1905 in South Africa, Cullinan weighed over 3.100 carats before being cut into more than 100 smaller gems, some of which are currently garnishing the British crown.