Mining workers in Botswana have discovered a remarkable diamond with two distinct colors — half pink and half clear — a scarce natural gemstone that weighs 37.41 carats.

A rough diamond, analyzed by specialists at a Gemological Institute of America (GIA) lab in Botswana, has dimensions approximately 24.3 by 16 by 14.5 millimeters. Scientists believe the gemstone was formed through two distinct geological processes far below the Earth’s surface.

The pink half appears to have originally been colorless before undergoing intense pressure changes.

“The pink area was probably originally colorless and then underwent plastic deformation, possibly due to a mountain-building event millions of years ago, which led to its pink hue, while the colorless part formed at a later stage,” said Sally Eaton-Magaña, senior manager of diamond identification at GIA,Indian Defence Review reported.

Pink diamonds are extremely uncommon. Unlike other colored diamonds that acquire their color from impurities such as trace elements or exposure to radiation, pink diamonds derive their color from structural distortion: their atomic structure is compressed or twisted by intense geological forces. Excessive deformation causes diamonds to turn brown, which is why pink diamonds only form under very specific and delicate conditions.

“It’s somewhat similar to Goldilocks,” said Luc Doucet, a senior research geologist at Curtin University in Australia.Live Science. “There are a lot of brown diamonds, and very, very few pink diamonds.”

In order for this diamond to exhibit two separate color regions, experts state that its pink section must have originated first and undergone changes due to geological pressure, while the clear portion developed later under more stable circumstances.

Two-tone diamonds have been discovered previously, but they are usually much smaller, generally 2 carats or less. At over 37 carats, this Botswana example is remarkable.

The gem was recovered from the Karowe mine, a site known for producing some of the world’s most notable diamonds. Previous discoveries there include the 2,488-carat “Motswedi” diamond and the 62-carat “Boitumelo” pink diamond.

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