South Africa: Rare 29.6 Carat Blue Diamond Found In Mine
A mining company says it has found a rare blue diamond in a South Africa mine. Petra Diamonds says the 29.6 carat diamond came from the Cullinan mine, the source of some of the world’s most famous diamonds according to ABC News. Petra also operates mines in Botswana and Tanzania and the company has previously been known to display their rare finds in places such as the Buckingham Palace according to The Telegraph.
The 29.6 carat diamond is said to be about the size of an acorn, and according to The Independent, this diamond is one of the rarest and most coveted in the world. Petra Diamonds owns the Cullinan mine, which is located near Pretoria, the South African capital. This is the same mine and company that discovered the Cullinan Diamond in 1905, which has been reported as the largest rough gem diamond discovered. The Cullinan Diamond weighed 3,106 carats, and around 600 grams according to The Telegraph.
Just last year, a 25.5 carat blue diamond was also discovered by Petra Diamonds in the Cullinan mine of South Africa. Diamonds discovered by Petra have been sold in the past, and each time they have sold at hefty prices.
The Inquisitr also reported last year that a rare pink diamond sold for $39.3 million at auction. The report stated that the diamond is one of the largest pink diamonds in existence. The pink diamond was discovered in the Golconda mines of southern India 300 years ago. It then spent time in the possession of India’s royal family of Hyderabad, who used to rule Mughal province. Rahul Kadakia, the head of Christie’s jewelry department, stated that “the most beautiful stones discovered in Golconda were always reserved for kings and rulers as they represented the highest power, which was then magically transferred to the owner.”
The latest 29.6 carat blue diamond is also expected to be sold for a very large price. Johan Dippenaar, the CEO of Petra, said that this stone was “probably the most significant stone we’ve ever, in terms of blue stones, recovered”.
“The stone is an outstanding vivid blue with extraordinary saturation, tone and clarity, and has the potential to yield a polished stone of great value and importance,” Petra added in a statement.
“The stones in the last year or so are selling well above $2 million per carat”, Dippenaar added. “That’s not my quote, that’s updates in the market.” Cailey Barker, an analyst at brokers Numis has estimated that the diamond could sell anywhere between $15 million and $20 million at auction.
[Image Via Petra Diamonds]
