910-carat colorless diamond found in Lesotho
— -- A whopping 910-carat diamond was discovered in Southern Africa, one of the biggest gems ever found, the mining company that uncovered it said Monday.
The colorless diamond was extracted from the Letseng mine in Lesotho, a small nation completely surrounded by South Africa, and is believed to be the fifth largest diamond to be unearthed, said Clifford Elphick, chief executive of the Gem Diamonds, which runs the mine in partnership with the government of Lesotho.
Elphick released a statement describing the gem as an "exceptional top quality diamond." He said the precious stone is rated D color, the top-rated color for diamonds.
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The largest diamond ever excavated is the Cullinan Diamond, a 3,106.75-carat gem found in Cullinan, South Africa, in 1905. The diamond, which is also known as as the Star of Africa I, was cut and used in the British monarchy's crown jewels.
Letseng is the same mine where the 603-carat Lesotho Promise diamond was discovered in 2006, Elphick said. The uncut Lesotho Promise diamond was auctioned off in Belgium that same year for $12.4 million.
