A Russian diamond mining company has uncovered a rare 158.2-carat diamond that is worth more than $1.5 million, according to the Daily Mail.
Alrosa, Russia’s largest diamond mining company, unearthed the diamond at factory No. 16 of the Nyurbinsk mine in the republic of Yakutia, in the northeastern part of the country.
A spokesperson for Alrosa said in a statement:
“In the estimate of Alrosa’s specialists, this diamond may be sold for over $1.5 million at auction. This diamond, if it is processed, may also produce several quality diamonds, each of them worth over several hundred thousand U.S. dollars.”
The company is one of the largest diamond companies in the world, accounting for 28 percent of global production. It also produces 97 percent of all diamonds in Russia, and has diamond reserves that allow it to maintain diamond production for more than 25 years.
The 158.2-carat diamond is the 32nd heaviest ever recorded. The heaviest diamond on record is the Cullinan stone, which was found in South Africa in 1905 and weighed 621.35 grams, or 3,106.75 carats. It was named after the owner of the mine, Sir Thomas Cullinan, and was split into seven major stones and 96 smaller stones. It is currently owned by Queen Elizabeth II.
The second largest uncut diamond is the 1,000 carat Nameless diamond, which was found in either Brazil or central Africa. The date of discovery is unknown. The third biggest diamond is the Excelsior, which weighs in at 995.1 carats and was discovered in 1893 in the Jagersfontein mine in South Africa. It was cut into 21 smaller stones.
