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Botswana unveils rare 20-carat blue diamond
GABORONE, Botswana, April 17, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Botswana’s state-owned
Okavango Diamond Company on Wednesday unveiled the biggest blue diamond ever
discovered in the Southern Africa country.
At 20.46 carats, the gem is one of the rarest stones in the world, and
“sits in the very top bracket of all-time historical blue diamond finds”, the
company said in a statement.
The oval-shaped diamond has been named “The Okavango Blue” in honour of the
Okavango Delta, the country’s wildlife-rich world heritage site.
“It is incredibly unusual for a stone of this colour and nature to have
come from Botswana — a once-in-lifetime find, which is about as rare as a
star in the Milky Way,” said Okavango Diamond Company managing director
Marcus ter Haar.
“It is little surprise blue diamonds are so sought after around the world
as only a very small percentage of the world’s diamonds are classified as
fancy colour,” he added.
Botswana is one of the world’s largest producers of diamonds, which are its
main source of income and account for about 80 percent of its exports.
BSS/AFP/SSS/1652 hrs