1,000+ carat diamond discovered in Botswana

Stone believed to be third largest ever mined

GABORONE, Botswana (KYMA, KECY/NBC News) - A stone believed to be the third largest gem-quality diamond ever mined has been discovered in Botswana.

The 1,098 carat stone was presented to the country's president Wednesday. Only two other gems are larger; the 3,100 carat Cullinan stone recovered in South Africa in 1905, and the 1,109 Lesedi la Rona diamond unearthed in 2015.

"And this - we must thank God for it because it's millions of years of painstaking work and that's why it's rare and even the find is rare. So well done, thank you God and thank you, Debswana Diamond," said President Mokgweetsi Masisi.

Botswana's minerals minister said the find couldn't have come at a better time. The coronavirus pandemic hit diamond sales hard. Gem sales make up as much as 80% of the country's income.