Articles and News
GIA Confirms Gemological Profile of Motswedi, the World’s Second-Largest Diamond September 04, 2025 (0 comments)
New York, NY--The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has published results on the Motswedi diamond, a 2,492-carat rough recovered in August 2024 from Lucara Diamond Corp.’s Karowe Mine in Botswana.
[Image via GIA]
The stone, weighing 2,488.32 carats when examined in July 2025, is now recognized as the world's second-largest diamond after the 3,106-carat Cullinan. The name Motswedi, meaning "water spring" in Setswana, was chosen in a national competition.
According to the report, the diamond is gem-quality, transparent, and light brown, measuring 106.3 × 71.6 × 53.8 mm. Natural fractures divide it into high-quality blocks, confirming it is a single crystal. Eleven smaller fragments, weighing 1.50 carats in total, were also studied.
Per the report, spectroscopy identified the stone as type IIa, with no nitrogen absorption. This differs from many Karowe diamonds, which are type IaB. Photoluminescence revealed weak GR1 and H3/H4 emissions but no nitrogen-vacancy centers.
The report noted that Motswedi is the largest single crystal ever documented and one of the most significant diamond finds in over a century.
Learn more in this report by GIA.