Rare pink diamond of ‘astounding weight’ unearthed at a mine in Botswana. See it
A rare rough, or uncut, pink diamond was unearthed at an open pit mine in Botswana and experts are calling it an “extraordinary” find.
The bicolor diamond weighed an “astounding” 37.41 carats, according to an Oct. 15 news release from the Gemological Institute of America.
According to experts, this diamond, sourced from the Karowe mine, is more than just a beautiful find —it is of significant “scientific interest.”
“The distinctive appearance of this bicolor rough diamond displaying two attractive colors, its large size, and its potential to yield more information about pink diamond formation make this diamond quite noteworthy,” experts said.
The gem measured about 1 inch long, just over half an inch wide and half an inch tall, according to the release. It has a distinct “sharp” boundary between the colorless and pink zones.
While diamonds are notoriously strong due to their atomic structure, extreme events like the kind that create mountains can deform a diamond, causing what’s known as “plastic deformation,” according to experts.
This atomic shift within a diamond is what can sometimes give them a brown color as the light gets “slightly distorted” as it penetrates them, according to researches at the University of Melbourne.
“From what is understood about pink diamond formation, the pink section likely was initially colorless and then plastically deformed resulting in its pink color; it is assumed that the colorless section formed at a later time after the stress-causing event,” experts said.
Still, the exact cause of their pink color is a topic “of continuous research,” experts said.
Several other significant diamonds have come from the Karowe mine in recent years, including the second-largest rough diamond ever found, weighing 2,488 carats, nine diamonds weighing more than 1,000 carats each, and several other pink diamonds, such as the 62-carat “Boitumelo” diamond, according to the release.
The Karowe mine is owned by Lucara Diamond Corp, a Canadian diamond mining company. According to the company’s website, it is “one of the world’s foremost producers of large, high quality, Type IIA diamonds in excess of 10.8 carats.”
This story was originally published October 27, 2025 at 3:14 PM with the headline "Rare pink diamond of ‘astounding weight’ unearthed at a mine in Botswana. See it."
