The largest diamond ever found in North America has been unearthed - and it's the size of a chicken's egg.
The 552-carat yellow gemstone was found at the Diavik Diamond Mine, northeast of Yellowknife in Canada's north west and is worth a fortune.
“This incredible discovery showcases what is truly spectacular about Canadamark diamonds,” said Kyle Washington, Chairman of Dominion Diamond Mines.
“The colour and texture of the diamond are a unique example of the journey that natural diamonds take from their formation until we unearth them.
"Our Diavik Mine has produced some of the most beautiful diamonds in the world, and this one certainly tops the list.”
The previous record-holder was also mined at Diavik and was dubbed the 'Diavik Foxfire' when it was found in 2015.
Diavik is 60 percent owned by Rio Tinto, a London-based multinational mining firm, along with Dominion Diamond Mines ULC, which owns a 40 percent stake in the property.
"A diamond of this size is completely unexpected for this part of the world and marks a true milestone for diamond mining in North America,' the company said in a statement.
"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 exact value of the massive diamond isn't yet known as its still being evaluated by gemstone experts.
However, the 'Foxfire' diamond weighed 187.7 carats and was transformed into two finished diamonds.
Both of the gemstones were brilliant-cut and pear shaped weighing in at an impressive 37.87 and 36.80 carats.
The two stones were auctioned together at Christie's for just over £1m.
The 552-carat yellow gemstone was found at the Diavik Diamond Mine, northeast of Yellowknife in Canada's north west and is worth a fortune.
“This incredible discovery showcases what is truly spectacular about Canadamark diamonds,” said Kyle Washington, Chairman of Dominion Diamond Mines.
“The colour and texture of the diamond are a unique example of the journey that natural diamonds take from their formation until we unearth them.
"Our Diavik Mine has produced some of the most beautiful diamonds in the world, and this one certainly tops the list.”
The previous record-holder was also mined at Diavik and was dubbed the 'Diavik Foxfire' when it was found in 2015.
Diavik is 60 percent owned by Rio Tinto, a London-based multinational mining firm, along with Dominion Diamond Mines ULC, which owns a 40 percent stake in the property.
"A diamond of this size is completely unexpected for this part of the world and marks a true milestone for diamond mining in North America,' the company said in a statement.
"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 exact value of the massive diamond isn't yet known as its still being evaluated by gemstone experts.
However, the 'Foxfire' diamond weighed 187.7 carats and was transformed into two finished diamonds.
Both of the gemstones were brilliant-cut and pear shaped weighing in at an impressive 37.87 and 36.80 carats.
The two stones were auctioned together at Christie's for just over £1m.
Music: "Laser Groove" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Source: The Sun, ABC, Twitter
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