Lulo Rose: Largest pink diamond unearthed in 300 years

A rare pure pink diamond unearthed in Angola is now believed to be the largest of its kind found in 300 years.

The 170 carat pink diamond, discovered at the Lulo mine in Angola's diamond-rich northeastern region, is called The Lulo Rose. It's a Type IIa diamond, one of the rarest and purest forms of natural stones. The Lulo Rose was announced Wednesday by Lucapa Diamond Company, the Australian owner of the mine.

The Angolan government is also a partner at the mine. "This record and spectacular pink diamond recovered from Lulo continues to showcase Angola as an important player on the world stage," the country's minister, Diamantino Azevedo, was quoted by AFP as saying.


Pink diamonds belong to a subcategory called colour diamonds. It's not known for sure why they are pink, the prevailing explanation being it's due to shear pressure during formation. The 59.6 carat Pink Star is the most expensive pink diamond ever sold - for $71.2 million at an auction in Hong Kong auction in 2017.

The 170 carat Lulo Rose will now be cut and polished; it may even lose as much as half its weight in the process. That's what will bring out its true value.