Rare pink diamond found in Angola may be the largest seen in 300 years
- The 170-carat stone – dubbed The Lulo Rose – was discovered at a mine in the country’s diamond-rich northeast
- The diamond will be sold through an international tender, likely at a record-breaking price
Miners in Angola have unearthed a rare pure pink diamond that is believed to be the largest found in 300 years, the Australian site operator announced Wednesday.
A 170-carat pink diamond – dubbed The Lulo Rose – was discovered at Lulo mine in the country’s diamond-rich northeast and is among the largest pink diamonds ever found, the Lucapa Diamond Company said in a statement to investors.
The “historic” find of the Type IIa diamond, one of the rarest and purest forms of natural stones, was welcomed by the Angolan government, which is also a partner in the mine.
“This record and spectacular pink diamond recovered from Lulo continues to showcase Angola as an important player on the world stage,” Angola’s Mineral Resources Minister Diamantino Azevedo said.
The diamond will be sold through an international tender conducted by Angolan state-owned diamond trading firm Sodiam.
Although The Lulo Rose would have to be cut and polished to realise its true value, in a process that can see a stone lose 50 per cent of its weight, similar pink diamonds have sold for record-breaking prices.
The 59.6-carat Pink Star was sold at a Hong Kong auction in 2017 for US$71.2 million. It remains the most expensive diamond ever sold.
