World's biggest diamond unearthed
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Mystery and tentative excitement surrounded reports yesterday that by far the world's biggest diamond has been unearthed by a small mining company in South Africa.
Experts said that the find - twice the size of the Cullinan, or "Great Star of Africa", discovered near Pretoria in 1905 - was still in need of verification last night. As security was being tightened around the stone, Brett Jolly, a spokesman for the mining firm Two Point Five Construction, said it was being transported to a bank vault in Johannesburg, where it would stay, "until we calm down and decide what we are going to do".
However, neither the South Africa Diamond Board, nor the Diamond and Jewellery Federation, the trade body, confirmed its authenticity as a diamond.
A mobile-phone photograph of the stone - the only one released of it yesterday - shows it to be smooth with a rare green tinge. The first people to inspect the find reportedly viewed it to be industrial grade. A consensus is emerging that it will indeed be cut into a piece of spectacular jewellery. It has been described as being around the size of two fists.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments