this post was submitted on 22 Aug 2024
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The largest diamond found in more than a century has been unearthed at a mine in Botswana, and the country’s president showed off the fist-sized stone to the world at a viewing ceremony Thursday.

The Botswana government says the huge 2,492-carat diamond is the second-biggest ever discovered in a mine. It’s the biggest diamond found since 1905.

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[–] AmbiguousProps@lemmy.today 64 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Which billionaire is going to spend money on this rather than spending it on helping humanity?

[–] davidgro@lemmy.world 21 points 2 years ago (1 children)

If the money eventually gets to the people of Botswana then it could help them. Feels like a long shot though.

[–] ShinkanTrain@lemmy.ml 60 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (3 children)

When was the last time a transaction involving a giant precious jewel benefited regular people?

[–] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 10 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

Yeah, somebody in Botswana will benefit; somebody corrupt. Pennies on the dollar will trickle down, if it goes the way it normally does.

[–] chonglibloodsport@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago

Maybe the diamond magnate will hire locals to build statues in his honour!

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[–] n3m37h@sh.itjust.works 42 points 2 years ago (11 children)

Look ma, a rock....

Please, I'd rather have man made stones as they are cheaper and require no slave labour

[–] hoch@lemmy.world 6 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

require no slave labour

Apparently this was mined in a Canadian-run "ethical diamond" mine with modern worker conditions, environment protections, and safety regulations. I was kinda surprised.

[–] shalafi@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago

It was located using X-ray technology designed to find large, high-value diamonds.

Sounds like they're using tech at this mine.

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[–] BowtiesAreCool@lemmy.world 34 points 2 years ago (3 children)

I just want to know what genius named carats and karats ostensibly the same thing, especially when both are related to jewellery, but one means purity and the other is just a measure of weight

[–] ayyy@sh.itjust.works 26 points 2 years ago (1 children)

It’s intentional to sow confusion. That way you just defer to the nice, good-looking sales person at your local jewelry store to tell you what is valuable and don’t question the cartel pricing and artificial scarcity.

[–] JustZ@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

Reminds me of how those malls would have two or three jewelry stores in the middle, right across from each other, and they were all owned by the same company!

[–] SomethingBurger@jlai.lu 22 points 2 years ago (1 children)

There's worse: 1 Calorie = 1000 calorie

[–] kboy101222@sh.itjust.works 14 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Isn't that some American BS? Every non American food I've had was measured in Kilocalories

[–] SomethingBurger@jlai.lu 5 points 2 years ago

I'm from France. Food packaging uses kcal but I've seen articles about diets and stuff use Cal.

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[–] hate2bme@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)
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[–] Nuke_the_whales@lemmy.world 26 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Some poor person probably got paid the whipping sum of $20 for finding that thing

[–] shalafi@lemmy.world 6 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I doubt the poor person in question was running a high-tech X-ray diamond finder.

I wonder what percentage of people at least skim the story before forming an opinion.

[–] jerkface@lemmy.ca 2 points 2 years ago

X-ray diamond finder

*rolls eyes* This is real life, not Minecraft!

[–] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 25 points 2 years ago (1 children)

That is a cartoonishly large diamond. Cut it into that stereotypical cartoon diamond shape!

[–] NegativeInf@lemmy.world 11 points 2 years ago (1 children)
[–] tiefling@lemmy.blahaj.zone 12 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Some billionaire is probably gonna turn it into a door handle, unfortunately

[–] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

Still better than cutting it into a large set of boring-ass baubles IMO.

[–] lnxtx@feddit.nl 20 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (2 children)
[–] BlackLaZoR@fedia.io 7 points 2 years ago (2 children)

That's big enough for pretty much any usecase

[–] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 3 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (3 children)

You underestimate how impractical my ideas are. ~~I accept Venmo, invest now before it's too late.~~

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[–] peopleproblems@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago

Good lord. I wonder what kind of saw that put that on

[–] workerONE@lemmy.world 18 points 2 years ago

Oh that's mine I dropped it

[–] c0smokram3r@midwest.social 15 points 2 years ago

Someone once described diamonds as nothing but space poop & it’s all I think about when I see ppl w diamond jewelry 😂💍💩☄️

[–] datelmd5sum@lemmy.world 13 points 2 years ago (1 children)

DO NOT BUY this when it's new! It's gonna be 1/10th the price when it gets pawned.

[–] CaliforniaSober@lemmy.ca 3 points 2 years ago

Oh… okay!

[–] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 9 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I kind of think they should leave it like that.

[–] CaliforniaSober@lemmy.ca 3 points 2 years ago (2 children)

They likely will! If touched it is then “cut” and less value. The raw “uncut” version is what will sell.

[–] fine_sandy_bottom@lemmy.federate.cc 5 points 2 years ago (2 children)

They said the 1905 one was cut into multiple gems?! Seems such a waste.

[–] CaliforniaSober@lemmy.ca 3 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Eventually it’s how things go… basically dividing the wealth but ultimately we’re talking about bullshit carbon and shouldn’t be so concerned. Yet…

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[–] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

And then the buyer will probably cut it into whatever number and carat of individual gems will sell for the most - or so I understand.

[–] MisterNeon@lemmy.world 8 points 2 years ago (1 children)

That's a Chaos Emerald. Botswana is about to get all of its fauna robotized.

[–] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 2 years ago (2 children)
[–] can@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Although infertile, the hybrid had a very active libido, mounting both ewes and nannies even when they were not in heat. This earned the hybrid the name Bemya or rapist. He was castrated when he was 10 months old because he was becoming a nuisance.

Welp

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[–] t_berium@lemmy.world 4 points 2 years ago

Makes me want to watch 'Blood Diamond' again.

[–] Binette@lemmy.ml 2 points 2 years ago

Nice precious rock the Botswanans found! I'm sure it would be preserved as it is, or if it's sold, that it would greatly benifit Botswana's economy

/s :(

[–] ZombieMantis@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago
[–] Transporter_Room_3@startrek.website 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Cool, I can burn it to ash with the tools in my garage.

Diamonds are shiny/glittery and hard, that's about it.

[–] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 13 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

And thermally conductive, and low-friction, and semiconducting. They are pretty neat, just for different reasons than people think.

Also, it wouldn't leave ash, because it's totally pure carbon, but that's just a nitpick.

[–] Transporter_Room_3@startrek.website 4 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

Well, I could have gone into detail about their scientific and industrial value, but those aren't what massively inflates their perceived importance and price.

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