Sierra Leone’s 709-Carat Diamond Sells for $6.5 Million

• Sierra Leone’s 709-Carat Diamond Sells for $6.5 Million

Officials in Sierra Loan said a 709-carat diamond found in the country has been sold for about $6.5 million.

According to the Rapaport Group, the company which auctioned the stone in New York on behalf of Sierra Loene’s government, this is the 14th largest diamond ever discovered.

The company further stated that 26 percent of the $6.5 million will go to the artisanal who found the diamond, while 59 percent of the money will go the government of the West Africa nation. The gem stone was discovered in March.

The Rapaport Group has dubbed the stone the “peace diamond” and says its sale “will provide vital lifesaving infrastructure to the area where the diamond was found.”