A massive 478-carat diamond was found at the Letseng Mine, in Lesotho, a small kingdom in South Africa. It is the 20th largest rough diamond ever found, and it came from a mine that has already delivered three of the world's largest diamonds: the 603-carat Lesotho Promise, the 493-carat Leteng Legacy and the 601-carat Lesotho Brown. A similar but smaller-sized rough stone has recently been valued at $12 million.
It is hoped that the uncut diamond will be capable of producing a 150-carat polished gem stone, dwarfing the current largest Koh-i-Noor diamond, which is a part of the Crown Jewels.
Here is a fun carat fact:
478-Carat Diamonds
Uncut Massive Gem Found in South Africa
Trend Themes
1. Large-sized Diamonds - The trend of discovering large-sized diamonds presents opportunities for the gem and jewelry industry to innovate in cutting, polishing, and setting these precious stones.
2. Mineral Exploration Technology - As the discovery of large-sized diamonds requires advanced mineral exploration technology, industries in the mining and geological surveying sector can leverage this trend to innovate new methods and tools for mineral exploration.
3. Luxury Commodities Market - The trend of finding massive diamond stones has the potential to disrupt the luxury commodities market by increasing demand and value for rare gemstones.
Industry Implications
1. Gem and Jewelry Industry - The gem and jewelry industry can explore the trend of discovering large-sized diamonds, develop innovative techniques for cutting and polishing the gems, and offer unique luxury pieces to consumers.
2. Mining Industry - The mining industry can embrace the trend of discovering large-sized diamonds, improve mineral exploration technology, and optimize the mining process to uncover more rare and valuable stones.
3. Luxury Retail Industry - The luxury retail industry can tap into the trend of discovering large-sized diamonds by catering to high-end consumers looking for one-of-a-kind, exceptionally rare commodities.