The world’s second-largest diamond, Lesedi la Rona, which is about the size of a tennis ball, was discovered in November 2015 in Botswana, South Africa. (Image source: Oriental IC)

According to a report by the New York Post on May 4, Sotheby’s auction house will auction the world’s second-largest diamond, Lesedi la Rona, in London in June. The diamond is expected to fetch a high price of over 70 million U.S. dollars (approximately 455 million yuan).

This diamond, tennis-ball-sized and weighing 1,109 carats, was discovered last November in Botswana, South Africa. It is the largest diamond ever found in the world in over a century. Its name, “Lesedi la Rona,” means “Our Light” in Tswana, the language spoken in Botswana, South Africa.

David Bennett, Chairman of Sotheby’s Jewelry Department, pointed out that this diamond not only boasts exceptional size and quality but also represents the largest uncut diamond ever offered at public auction. According to Sotheby’s, this colossal diamond is estimated to be 3 billion years old.

(Editor: Dang Chaofeng, Zhou Fengmei)

On May 4, in New York, USA, a model showcases the massive diamond Lesedi la Rona at Sotheby's auction house. (Image source: Oriental IC)

The world’s second-largest diamond, Lesedi la Rona—about the size of a tennis ball—was discovered last November in Botswana, South Africa. (Image source: Oriental IC)