Sierra Leone is renowned for the quality of its diamonds and for the recovery of some of the most spectacularly large stones of very high value. The largest diamond, discovered in February 1972, was the 969.8 ct 'Star of Sierra Leone'. More recently, in 1996, two stones weighing 188 ct and 283 ct were recovered and sold. Annual output reached a peak of around 2 Mct in the late 1960s, with output declining thereafter. By 1997, output was seriously disrupted by RUF rebel activity, with most of the diamondiferous areas becoming off-limits. More...
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Friday, June 8, 2007
