Sierra Leone Pastor Finds A 706 Carat Diamond And Gives It Away

March 18, 2017

A Christian pastor in Sierra Leone has found one of the world's largest uncut diamonds.

Pastor Emmanuel Momoh, who also works as a miner, discovered the 706-carat diamond in Kono district, the government said in a statement.

Credit: Reuters

Momoh handed it over to President Ernest Bai Koroma, who thanked him for not smuggling it out of the country. The President pledged to reward him with some of the proceeds from the sale of the diamond.

Credit: Reuters

The stone is yet to be valued but could be worth millions of dollars. The government plans to sell it to the highest bidder, the President said.

The gem may not be the largest ever found, but it's pretty close.

Last year, an uncut 1,109-carat diamond was auctioned in London -- the largest uncut diamond ever found.