The Okavango Diamond Company (ODC) recently unveiled what it described as “a remarkable oval shaped blue diamond weighing over 20 carats” in Gaborone, Botswana This is the biggest blue diamond discovery ever made in Botswana, the Company stated.

The natural diamond’s striking colour has been graded as a Type IIb ‘Fancy Deep Blue’. Further, the Company added: “The Gemological Institute of America (GIA), has graded the diamond as an Oval Brilliant Cut, VVS2 clarity making it one of the highest polished colour classifications attainable for any blue diamond and at 20.46 carats it sits in the very top bracket of all-time historical blue diamond finds.”

Cut from a rough diamond of 41.11 carats discovered at Botswana’s Orapa mine The Okavango Blue’s “unique and vibrant” blue colour, is created by the molecular inclusion of the rare mineral boron. This is said to have been present in the rocks of ancient oceans during violent diamond forming volcanic activity between 1-3 billion years ago.

“From the first moment we saw the diamond, it was clear we had something very special,” said Marcus terHaar, MD of Okavango Diamond Company. “Everyone who has viewed the 20 carat polished diamond has marvelled at its unique colouration which many see as unlike any blue stone they have seen before. It is incredibly unusual for a stone of this colour and nature to have come from Botswana – a once-in-lifetime find, which is about as rare as a star in the Milky Way.”

He added: “It is little surprise blue diamonds are so sought after around the world as only a very small percentage of the world’s diamonds are classified as fancy colour and, of those, only a select few can be classified as being Fancy Blue.

ODC has access to 15% of Debswana's run-of-mine production, and terHaar said the Company feels“extremely fortunate to be involved in such a singular find”.

“Only a handful of similar blue stones have come to market during the last decade, of which the Okavango Blue rightfully takes its place as one of the most significant,” said terHaar.