The Lesotho Promise, a 603
carat (121 g)
diamond
Diamond is a solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the chemically stable form of carbon at room temperature and pressure, ...
stone
In geology, rock (or stone) is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its Chemical compound, chemical composition, and the way in which it is formed. Rocks ...
of exceptional colour was unearthed on 22 August 2006 at the
Letseng diamond mine
The Letšeng Diamond Mine, found in the landlocked Southern African kingdom of Lesotho, is owned by Gem Diamonds, Ltd. and the government of Lesotho, and at an elevation of 3,100 m (10,000 ft) it is the world's highest diamond m ...
in the mountain kingdom of
Lesotho
Lesotho ( ), officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a country landlocked as an enclave in South Africa. It is situated in the Maloti Mountains and contains the highest mountains in Southern Africa. It has an area of over and has a populatio ...
. Announced on 4 October 2006, it was the largest reported find this century and the 15th largest diamond ever found. The stone is
rated 'D', the top colour band for diamonds.
The diamond was sold at an
auction
An auction is usually a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bids, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder or buying the item from the lowest bidder. Some exceptions to this definition e ...
on 9 October 2006 in
Antwerp,
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...
, for
US$
The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
12.4 million.
[BBC News Online, "Massive diamond bought for $12m", ]BBC #REDIRECT BBC
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, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6034429.stm (accessed 2006-10-09) The buyer, The South African Diamond Corporatio
(SAFDICO) expected to sell the diamond for more than US$20 million after cutting.
In July 2007 the finished stones were unveiled. The largest gem cut from the crystal is a pear-shaped diamond, and the smallest is a round brilliant. In all, twenty-six stones were fashioned from the rough gem, figuring as seven pear shapes, four emerald cuts, thirteen round brilliants and one heart shape. The finished gems total .
The
Lesotho Brown (usually simply called the Lesotho) at 601 carats (120 g) was the largest diamond previously found at the mine.
See also
*
List of famous diamonds
References
External links
Graff Diamonds Lesotho Promise stone and necklace(SAFDICO)DIAMCAD ANTWERP
Individual diamonds
Diamonds originating in Lesotho
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