A Canadian mining company has uncovered some record-breaking bling — a diamond said to be the largest ever found in North America.
The 552-carat yellow gem was discovered in October at the Diavik Diamond Mine, located about 220 kilometres south of the Arctic Circle in the Northwest Territories.
The company, Dominion Diamond Mines, said the stone’s 33.74 mm by 54.56 mm size is “completely unexpected for this part of the world.”
“Abrasion markings on the stone’s surface attest to the difficult journey it underwent during recovery, and the fact that it remains intact is remarkable,” the company said in a news release on Thursday.
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The diamond has yet to be cut or appraised for value.
According to Dominion, the previous North American record was held by a diamond called the Diavik Foxfire, which weighed 187.7 carats and was discovered at the same mine in 2015. It was cut into two pear-shaped pieces and sold for $1.3 million.