A diamond mining firm in Botswana has unveiled a 1,098-carat stone, describing it as the third largest of its kind in the world.

“[It’s] a rare and extraordinary stone,” Debswana Managing Director Lynette Armstrong says.

The gem was found on 1 June but publicly presented at an event on Wednesday in the capital, Gaborone that was attended by President Mokgweetsi Masisi.

It is the biggest gem quality to be recovered in the history of Debswana, a joint venture between the governments and global diamond giant De Beers.

The biggest diamond ever discovered in the world was the 3,106-carat Cullinan, found in South Africa in 1905.

The second largest was 1,109-carat Lesedi La Rona – a diamond the size of a tennis ball, discovered at Karowe, northeastern Botswana, in 2015.

Botswana is Africa’s leading diamond producer.