Associate Editor Lauren McLemore headed out West for a visit to Potentate Mining’s operation hosted by gemstone wholesaler Parlé Gems.
223-Carater Uncovered in Botswana
The diamond came from Karowe, the mine that produced the second largest rough diamond ever found.

Gaborone, Botswana—Karowe, the Botswana diamond mine that produced the second largest rough diamond in history, just yielded a gem that’s more than 200 carats.
Lucara Diamond Corp., the Vancouver-based company that is the sole owner and operator of the mine, said Tuesday it had recovered a 223-carat “high white” gem-quality diamond.
It will be shown and offered for sale alongside the two other large, gem-quality stones found at Karowe this year: the 240-carat diamond found in late January and the 127-carat stone recovered shortly after the new year began.
Lucara CEO Eira Thomas said: “2019 is off to a great start, with several high-quality diamonds in excess of 100 carats having been recovered by mid-February, a testament to the strong, stable operating environment that has prevailed at Karowe since late 2018.”
The 223-carat diamond will be offered alongside the other large stones at Lucara’s first diamond tender of the year, which opens Feb. 24 and closes March 7; viewings of the rough being offered take place only in Gaborone, Botswana.
The company is scheduled to report its full-year results for 2018 on Thursday after market close.
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