Botswana's President has a hilarious reaction after holding second-largest diamond in the world

Botswana, one of the world's largest diamond producers, recently made headlines when its President, Mokgweetsi Masisi, held the second-largest diamond ever discovered. The diamond was unearthed at a mine owned by the Canadian company Lucara Diamond. According to the BBC, this stone is the largest find since the 3,016-carat Cullinan diamond was unearthed in South Africa in 1905.

To unveil the diamond, President Mokgweetsi Masisi organized a viewing ceremony, as reported by My Modern Met. His eyes were closed and his palms were out to hold the diamond. The 2,492-carat rough diamond was gently kept in his hands and the President was shocked when he held it. As he opened his eyes, he said, "What?" and stared at it for the next few seconds. He then said, "It is overwhelming." "I am lucky to have seen it in my time." Later, he was seen closely looking at the diamond using a loupe. His pictures from the ceremony were posted on his Facebook page.

The diamond was found at Karowe mine, about 500 km north of Botswana's capital, Gaborone. The government said it was the largest diamond they had ever found in the southern African state. The Canadian firm, Lucara, said the stone was discovered using X-ray technology. It is generally used to find large, high-value diamonds. The stone is yet to be named and the officials said it was too early to value the diamond or to decide how it would be sold. Many such diamonds have been found in Botswana in the past, and the country accounts for 20% of diamond production globally, per Mining Technology. 

Masisi said at the ceremony, "This also goes to show Botswana and the world how mining and good governance, particularly diamond mining is to Botswana. They mean everything to us in the good times and the bad times. The diamond prices are going through a very difficult time right now yet every diamond remains precious and valuable. So we need to look after it, optimize, and get the best price for it," per the video shared by Business Insider Africa on its Facebook page. The Botswana government has proposed a law that will ask companies, once given a license, to sell a 24% stake to local firms if the government doesn't become a shareholder in it.

However, the Lucara firm has 100% ownership of the mine in Karowe. They said the diamond discovered is "one of the largest rough diamonds ever unearthed." Lucara's head, William Lamb, said they were "ecstatic" after finding this 2,492-carat diamond. The firm did not talk about the gem's quality or its value. Also, the Financial Times newspaper quoted people close to Lucara, whom they did not name, saying that the stone would be anywhere close to $40 million. The 1,758-carat diamond found in 2019 at the same mine was sold to French fashion brand Louis Vuitton for an undisclosed amount. The 1,109-carat stone was discovered at the same mine in 2016 and sold for $53 million to London jeweler Laurence Graff, chairperson of Graff Diamonds in 2018, according to BBC.