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Petra recovers 'exceptional' 232.08 carat white diamond

Petra Diamonds has five producing mines in South Africa and one in Tanzania
Petra Diamonds has five producing mines in South Africa and one in Tanzania

Petra Diamonds has recovered a 232.08 carat white diamond at its Cullinan mine in South Africa, which three analysts said could fetch between $10-16m. 

The find is Petra's largest of a white diamond since it unearthed the 507-carat Cullinan Heritage diamond in 2009 from the same mine, the source of many large diamonds. 

That rough diamond - whose clarity grade was assigned as "flawless" - fetched a record price of $35.3m. 

The diamond miner, with five producing mines in South Africa and one in Tanzania, said it expected the diamond that has no measurable nitrogen impurities to be sold in the three months from October to December, the second quarter of its financial year. 

The Cullinan mine boasts the largest rough gem diamond ever recovered - the 1905 Cullinan Diamond, which was cut into two stones that are part of Britain's Crown Jewels.

Petra bought the mine from Anglo American's DeBeers unit, the world's biggest diamond producer by value.