500-carat Diamond Found

Published on 25/09/08

A diamond found in Africa is being dubbed one of the world's largest ever examples of the gem, it is claimed.

The stone, which could be used in items such as marquise-cut diamond rings and princess-cut diamond rings, has been found in Lesotho by Gem Diamonds.

It is claimed the diamond is "near-flawless" and is almost 500-carats.

A spokesperson for the firm said: "It has the potential to yield one of the largest flawless D colour round polished diamonds in history."

It is thought the stone is in the top 20 largest diamonds ever found.

Clifford Elphick, chief executive for the mining group, told the BBC the gem is "remarkable".

The world's largest diamond is a 3,106-carats stone found in 1905.

A 545-carat ring was made from the gem, known as the Cullinan diamond, which was the largest polished diamond in the world until the discovery of the Golden Jubilee Diamond in 1985.