It’s nearly the size of a tennis ball.
The 1109-carat beast was discovered in 2015 by Lucara Diamond Corporation in Botswana, according to Sotheby’s.
The Lesdei la Rona (Our Light) diamond, obtained for auction by Sotheby’s, is estimated to “achieve in excess of $70 million.”
“Around the size of a tennis ball, this colossal rough diamond of exceptional transparency and quality is around 2.5 to over 3 billion years old. It will be offered in London on 29 June,” the Facebook post said.
The jewelry company claims it has been over a century since “a stone of this magnificence was recovered.” Sotheby’s said the diamond is the largest rough diamond in existence.
The largest diamond ever found was a 3,106-carat Cullinan diamond—also unearthed in South Africa—in 1905. It was cut into nine pieces that form part of the United Kingdom’s Crown Jewels.
Lesedi la Rona could (literally) smash the record price for a diamond—which is currently $48.5 million—paid at a Geneva sale in 2015 for a 12.03-carat polished “Blue Moon” diamond.
Billionaire Joseph Lau, of Hong Kong, picked it up as a gift for his 7-year-old daughter.
According to its Facebook page, Sotheby’s was founded in 1744 as a book auctioneer and has since expanded to sell many of the world’s most valuable fine and decorative arts, wine, jewelry, and other precious objects.
The auction house allows visitors to view all auctions live online and place bids from anywhere in the world.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
