Tennis Ball-Sized Diamond Up for Auction, Could Net $70 Million

The 1109-carat beast was discovered in 2015 by Lucara Diamond Corporation in Botswana, according to Sotheby’s.
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It’s nearly the size of a tennis ball.

The 1109-carat beast was discovered in 2015 by Lucara Diamond Corporation in Botswana, according to Sotheby’s.

The Lesdei la Rona (Our Light) diamond, obtained for auction by Sotheby’s, is estimated to “achieve in excess of $70 million.”

“Around the size of a tennis ball, this colossal rough diamond of exceptional transparency and quality is around 2.5 to over 3 billion years old. It will be offered in London on 29 June,” the Facebook post said.

The jewelry company claims it has been over a century since “a stone of this magnificence was recovered.” Sotheby’s said the diamond is the largest rough diamond in existence.

The largest diamond ever found was a 3,106-carat Cullinan diamond—also unearthed in South Africa—in 1905. It was cut into nine pieces that form part of the United Kingdom’s Crown Jewels.

The auction house plans to offer the Lesedi la Rona diamond in London on June 29. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
The auction house plans to offer the Lesedi la Rona diamond in London on June 29. AP Photo/Seth Wenig