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Lesotho Brown Diamond

Russian state diamond company Alrosa announced today that its diamond mining operations have recovered a massive stone, Ria Novosti reported. The gem, found earlier this month, is said to weigh 158.2 carats and has been appraised at over $1.5 million.

 

The stone was discovered  at the Nyurbinsk mining facilities in the Republic of Yakutia, a region in the north-east of Russia. If the stone is sawed into a number of smaller diamonds, they would still each be worth the equivalent of several hundred thousand American dollars, according to Ria Novosti.

 

The physical dimensions of Alrosa's stone are said to be 35 millimeters by 22 millimeters by 22 millimeters, according to Rough and Polished. The diamond is transparent although the central area has no visible defects, it has some dark inclusions and cracks on the periphery of the stone.