One of the largest diamonds in world history was found at the Letseng mine in Lesotho in southern Africa, the press service of Gem Diamonds, which operates the mine, said.
The gemstone weighing 901 carats (182 grams) has become the fifth largest ever found, the report said. The mineral belongs to type II diamonds, which contain almost no nitrogen impurities and are among the most expensive in the world.
According to The Financial Times, the new diamond could be worth more than $ 40 million. On Monday, January 15, Gem Diamonds shares rose 15 percent, the newspaper notes.
The Letseng mine is renowned for the size and quality of the gemstones mined. Since 2006, 4 of the 20 largest white diamonds in the world have been found here. The largest of these is the Lesotho Promise, weighing 603 carats, or 121 grams.
In September 2017, the world's largest diamond, Lesedi La Rona, was sold in Canada. The buyer was also Graff Diamonds for $ 53 million.
In May last year, a diamond weighing 83.5 carats was mined at the Aikhal mining and processing plant of the Alrosa company in Yakutia.
The largest diamond in history was the famous Cullinan (also called the Star of Africa) weighing 3106.7 carats, or 621.3 grams. Parts of it adorn the crown and scepter of British monarchs.