A 170-carat pink diamond discovered in Angola could be the largest such gem found in 300 years, according to Australian miner Lucapa Diamond Company.
The Lulo Rose diamond has been found at the Lulo alluvial diamond mine in Angola’s Lunda Norte region in Africa, the company said in a statement on Wednesday along with its partner, the state-owned diamond miner. Endiama and Rosas & Petalas, a private Angolan company.
According to the Gemological Institute of America, which studies diamond production, Angola’s mines are among the top ten diamond producers in the world. In alluvial diamond mines, stones are extracted from gravel and sand found in river beds.
According to Stephen Weatherall, managing director of the Lucapa Diamond Company, only one in 10,000 diamonds found is colored.
“And only one in 100 diamonds is larger than 10.8 carats, so the recovery of a 170-carat pink diamond means we’re dealing with a very rare article,” Wetheall told CNN.
“We’ve found pink diamonds before, but it’s extremely rare to find one of this size,” he said.
“Lulo Rose” is still being appraised to determine its estimated value before being sold at auction. Credit: Lucapa Diamond Company
The pink gemstone is expected to be auctioned by Sodiam, the Angolan state diamond marketing company. Wetheall declined to estimate its value because the diamond is still being examined and appraised.
The Angolan government also welcomed the “historic” recovery of the jewel.
“The record and spectacular pink diamond found in Lulo continues to establish Angola as an important player on the world stage in diamond mining and demonstrates the potential and rewards for commitment and investment in our growing diamond mining industry,” said Angolan Minister Diamantino Azevedo. mineral resources, oil and gas.
According to Lucapa, Angola’s largest diamond, dubbed the “February 4th stone,” was mined from the Lulo mine in February 2016. The 404.2-carat stone was sold for $16 million.
