If you think Mariah Carey’s 35-carat diamond engagement ring is outrageous, imagine the ring (or hundreds of rings) you could make from the massive 404.2-carat diamond miners recently discovered in Africa.
The impressive gem is the largest diamond ever found in Angola and the 27th-largest recorded diamond in the world, according to Australian-based Lucapa Diamond Co., which unearthed the diamond.
Lucapa says the diamond – which measures about 7 centimeters across and weighs about 80 grams – has already been tested for color and clarity. It’s classified as a top-tier Type IIa D-color gem, which means it’s virtually flawless and entirely colorless, making it an incredibly rare and valuable diamond.
“We’re not used to valuing 400-carat diamonds,” Miles Kennedy, Lucapa’s chairman told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, “but if we look at other diamonds slightly less weight than this, you’re looking in the order of $20 million.”
Wow.
Angola is the fourth largest diamond-producing country in the world. At 217.4 carats, the so-called Angola Star was the previous record-setter for the largest diamond found in that country. It was unearthed in 2007.
The biggest recorded diamond in the world weighed in at 1.3 pounds. Known as the “Cullinan,” the 3,106 carat gem was unearthed in South Africa in 1905.
Check out “Diamonds From the Lab: Cheaper, but Are They Just as Good?” Also, find out which U.S. park you may want to visit if you want to try your hand at unearthing your own big gem.
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