The age of the stone is estimated at about 2 billion years.

The World Wildlife Fund found that more miners operating in the country are starting to report their efforts to reduce their carbon footprint.

The levy on gemstones, excluding diamonds, was meant to increase the country's revenues, but ended up hitting output.

Average price per carat was $548, 16% more than expected and about 40% higher than the average price achieved in the previous quarter.

It fetched $425 million for its diamond in December, a slight improvement from the $400 million it obtained in the previous sale.

Adonis Pouroulis, who founded Petra in 1997 and has been its chairman ever since, will leave the company on March 31.

The Central African Republic should be granted a “road map” outlining the steps it needs to take to get the ban on diamond sales lifted, says Moscow.