Pure Diamond
By Helen Potter
Diamonds may be a girl's best friend, but the latest find from the Letseng Diamond Mine in Lesotho will bankrupt even the most dedicated of admirers.
The diamond, which is the biggest to be found in the last 13 years, and the 15th largest ever, has just gone on sale in Antwerp. The stone, named 'Lesotho Promise', is a whopping 603 carats (120 g). A spokeswoman for the owners said, "it's about a third bigger than a golf ball."
It's not yet possible to put a price on the diamond, as the valuation relies on how many cut stones can be taken from it, however it is unlikely to come cheap.
The biggest uncut diamond ever found was the Cullinan diamond in 1905, weighing in at a massive 3, 106 carats (621g). It was cut into 11 stones, the largest of which was the Great Star of Africa. The Star weighs 530 carats (106g), has an estimated value of over £1 million and is mounted into the head of the Sceptre with the Cross, part of the British Crown Jewels.
Diamonds are an allotrope of carbon, formed deep within the Earth's crust at temperatures between 900 and 1300 degrees Celsius and pressures of 50 to 60 kilobars. The diamonds are then transported rapidly to Earth's surface via volcanic eruptions. Impressively, all diamonds are at least 990 million years old, and can reach ages of up to 3.2 billion years.
To read more about Helen or to view more of her articles click here
The diamond, which is the biggest to be found in the last 13 years, and the 15th largest ever, has just gone on sale in Antwerp. The stone, named 'Lesotho Promise', is a whopping 603 carats (120 g). A spokeswoman for the owners said, "it's about a third bigger than a golf ball."
It's not yet possible to put a price on the diamond, as the valuation relies on how many cut stones can be taken from it, however it is unlikely to come cheap.
The biggest uncut diamond ever found was the Cullinan diamond in 1905, weighing in at a massive 3, 106 carats (621g). It was cut into 11 stones, the largest of which was the Great Star of Africa. The Star weighs 530 carats (106g), has an estimated value of over £1 million and is mounted into the head of the Sceptre with the Cross, part of the British Crown Jewels.
Diamonds are an allotrope of carbon, formed deep within the Earth's crust at temperatures between 900 and 1300 degrees Celsius and pressures of 50 to 60 kilobars. The diamonds are then transported rapidly to Earth's surface via volcanic eruptions. Impressively, all diamonds are at least 990 million years old, and can reach ages of up to 3.2 billion years.
To read more about Helen or to view more of her articles click here
Image: John de Boer/SXC
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