Worlds 20th-largest rough diamond yet found in Lesotho

[Celebrity Jewels 10]

How amazing is that - Lesotho seems to be pumping out spectacular sized diamonds so lets get the pans out and head there... :wink:

 

The below article is taken from the Telegraph UK newspaper:

 

Gem unearths 20th-largest diamond

 

Gem Diamonds, a London-listed mining firm, has recovered a 478-carat diamond from its mine in Lesotho – the 20th-largest rough diamond this month.

The company said yesterday that the gem had the potential to become one of the largest round-cut diamonds in the world.

 

The gem was discovered on September 8 at the Letseng mine in Lesotho, a small kingdom inside South Africa.

 

The mine, which was owned by De Beers for many years, has already produced three of the world's biggest diamonds. These are the 603-carat Lesotho Promise, the 493-carat Leteng Legacy and the 601-carat Lesotho Brown.

 

Clifford Elphick, Gem Diamonds' chief executive, said: "Preliminary examination of this remarkable diamond indicates that it will yield a record-breaking polished stone of the very best colour and clarity."

 

The diamond, which has not yet been named, has the potential to yield a 150-carat polished stone.

 

That would dwarf the 105-carat round-cut Koh-i-Noor diamond seized by Britain from India in the 19th century and now part of the Crown Jewels. It would still only be a fraction of the size, however, of the Cullinan diamond, which was discovered in 1905.

 

This huge gemstone was 3,106 carats when recovered and yielded a teardrop-shaped diamond of 530 carats – the Great Star of Africa.

 

The Letseng mine is owned by a mining company that is 70pc-owned by Gem Diamonds, with the remaining 30pc held by the Lesotho government.

 

Mr Elphick added: "Letseng continues to reward its shareholders with the production of these significant diamonds and to confirm its position as one of the great mines in the diamond industry.

 

"With a further 45 years of life remaining, we expect Letseng to make history for many years to come."

 

Here is a link to a pic of it that I saved in my photobucket:

 

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll112/westmanor1970/diamond_995892c.jpg

 

The diamond, which is as yet unnamed, has the potential to yield a 150 carat cut stone, and could sell for tens of millions of dollars, the company said.

 

Any buyers!!!

:roll:

[Dumble 10]

I'll start the bidding.....my house, my car, my jewellery, my great dane, my labrador, my husband....na!