< Science of Diamonds / Colored Diamonds
The Lulo Rose Pink Diamond Is the Largest Pink Diamond Discovered in Over 300 Years
Another fascinating discovery for the natural diamond world.
(Courtesy of Lucapa Diamond Company)
The Australia-based Lucapa Diamond Company and its partners uncovered a historic 170-carat pink Type IIa diamond from the Lulo diamond mine in Angola. Believed to be the largest pink diamond discovered in more than three centuries, the exceptional rough has been named the Lulo Rose pink diamond—a find that instantly reshapes the modern history of colored diamonds.
Recovered from one of the world’s most prolific alluvial diamond fields, the Lulo Rose pink diamond stands apart not only for its size and color, but for its rarity. Pink diamonds of this scale are virtually unheard of in the modern era, placing the discovery among the most significant diamond recoveries of our time.
Meet the Expert
- Grant Mobley is the Jewelry & Watch Editor of Only Natural Diamonds.
- He is a GIA Diamonds Graduate.
- He has over 17 years of jewelry industry experience, starting with growing up in his family’s retail jewelry stores.
His Excellency Diamantino Azevedo, Angola’s Minister of Mineral Resources, Petroleum, and Gas spoke on The Lulo Rose Pink Diamond saying, “This record and spectacular pink diamond recovered from Lulo continues to showcase Angola as an important player on the world stage for diamond mining and demonstrates the potential and rewards for commitment and investment in our growing diamond mining industry.”
How the Lulo Rose Pink Diamond Compares to the Daria-i-Noor
The discovery of the Lulo Rose pink diamond follows in the footsteps of the Daria-i-Noor, the largest pink diamond in the world and one of the most legendary diamonds in recorded history. Believed to weigh approximately 182 carats, the Daria-i-Noor has been traced back centuries and remains embedded in the Iranian Crown Jewels, revered for both its scale and historical gravitas.
While separated by hundreds of years and vastly different historical contexts, the two diamonds share a rare distinction: each represents a once-in-a-generation benchmark for pink diamonds. In the modern era—where most pink diamonds appear in single-digit or low double-digit carat sizes—the Lulo Rose pink diamond is without precedent, making comparisons to historic stones like the Daria-i-Noor not only inevitable, but warranted.
The Lulo Diamond Mine
The Lulo diamond mine in Angola is unique among diamond mines worldwide because it is an alluvial mine. Alluvial diamonds are diamonds that have, over millions of years, been eroded from their primary source and found in a secondary location. Since the vast majority of diamonds found on Earth are in primary sources, the Lulo Rose diamond discovery is even more remarkable. Since the discovery of diamonds at Lulo in 2015, geologists have been searching for its primary source with the hopes of expanding its diamond discovery.
Lucapa Diamond Company Limited Managing Director Stephen Wetherall said, “Lulo is an exceptional alluvial resource and is truly a gift. We are once again made very proud by yet another historic recovery. We, too, look forward to our partnership progressing its exploration effort, where we are now bulk sampling the priority kimberlites in search for the primary kimberlite sources of these exceptional and high-value diamonds.”
The Lulo diamond mine was also the home to the discovery of a 404-carat colorless rough diamond named the “4th February Stone” that was first sold in 2016 for more than $16 Million. The 404-carat find was the largest diamond ever discovered in Angola and the 27th largest diamond discovered in history.
Dr. José Manuel Ganga Júnior, Chairman of the Board of Endiama, commented, “The record-breaking Lulo diamond field has again delivered a precious and large gemstone, this time an extremely rare and beautiful pink diamond. It is a significant day for the Angolan diamond industry and the long-standing partnership between Endiama, Lucapa, and Rosas and Petalas.”
The Future of the Lulo Rose Pink Diamond
The future of the Lulo Rose pink diamond has already begun to unfold. Following its recovery, the historic rough was sold via international tender conducted by Sodiam E.P., the Angolan State Diamond Marketing Company, alongside several other exceptional stones from the Lulo mine. While the identity of the buyer and the individual sale price were not disclosed—a common practice for diamonds of this magnitude—the transaction confirmed the Lulo Rose’s immediate entry into private hands.
What remains unknown, and eagerly anticipated, is the diamond’s next chapter. Diamonds of this scale and rarity often require years of study before a single cut is made, as expert cutters weigh the balance between preserving weight, optimizing color, and revealing the stone’s full potential. Whether the Lulo Rose ultimately emerges as a single spectacular polished diamond or is transformed into multiple stones, its unveiling—whenever it comes—will mark one of the most closely watched moments in the modern history of pink diamonds.
