The Discovery of 170-Carat Pink Diamond by Miners

VIVA – Miners in Angola, Africa have discovered a large pink diamond that may be the largest gem of its kind found in the last 300 years. This pink diamond is estimated to weigh 170-carat.

The new discovery is only slightly smaller than the 182 carat Daria-i-Noor diamond, the world's largest pink diamond that’s currently part of the National Jewel of Iran.

A 170 carat pink diamond or 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.

Since 2015, the Lulo mining project has uncovered 27 diamonds weighing more than 100-carat including the largest diamond ever found in Angola, a 404-carat stone that sold for $16 million in 2016.

According to the ScienceAlert website on July 31, 2022, this Lulo Rose is expected to be sold at a higher price.

Pink diamonds are still relatively rare. Scientists themselves are still not sure about what phenomenon gives these stones their red color.

In 1999, miners in South Africa discovered a 132-carat rough pink diamond that was later named The Pink Star. Over the nearly two years, experts slowly cut and grinded the stone, into a 59-carat gem.

Then in 2013, The Pink Star sold for an estimated US$83 million at auction, becoming the single most expensive gemstone ever sold.

The Lulo Rose also had to be cut from its rough shape, which could have resulted in its weight being cut in half. But even if Lulu Rose is reduced to 85-carat, the pink stone is predicted to set record sales.