Blue Diamond 29.6 Carats Found In South Africa

Philip Mostert / Petra Diamonds Limited via AFP - Getty Images

This handout picture released by the Petra Diamonds company website on Jan. 21, 2014 shows a 29.6 carat blue diamond, worth several million dollars, which was found in January 2014 in the Cullinan mine near Pretoria, South Africa.

LONDON — A 29.6-carat blue diamond, one of the rarest and most coveted in the world with a possible price tag of tens of millions of dollars, has been discovered at a South African mine by Petra Diamonds. 

The miner said the "exceptional" acorn-sized diamond, small enough to fit into the palm of a hand, was unearthed at the Cullinan mine near Pretoria.
The mine, owned by the firm since 2008, was also where the Cullinan Diamond was found in 1905 - described as the largest rough gem diamond ever recovered and weighing 3,106 carats.
Other notable diamonds found in the mine include a 25.5 carat Cullinan blue diamond, found in 2013 and sold for $16.9 million, and a diamond found in 2008, known as the Star of Josephine, which was sold for $9.49 million.
Chief Executive Johan Dippenaar told Reuters the latest blue diamond discovery could outstrip recent finds

.