A pastor in Sierra Leone has unearthed a 706-carat diamond, according to the government, in one of the largest precious stone finds ever made worldwide.

The discovery was made by Pastor Emmanuel Momoh in an artisanal mine in the village of Koyadu in eastern Kono district, a government statement said on Thursday.
"A 706-carat diamond was presented to President Dr Ernest Bai Koroma yesterday evening," the statement said.

"Receiving the diamond President Koroma thanked the chief and his people for not smuggling the diamond out of the country," it added, referring to the Tankoro chiefdom where Momoh uncovered the gem.

The diamond will be sold in Sierra Leone with a "transparent" bidding process to the benefit of the community and country, the statement said.

"I have to help the government and my people, so all of us can benefit," presidential spokesman Abdulai Bayraytay quoted the pastor as saying.

Sierra Leone's government has attempted to crack down on cross-border diamond trafficking to persuade foreign investors that "blood diamonds" that fuelled its civil war are a thing of the past.

'Exceptional discovery'

Diamond expert Paul Zimnisky told the AFP news agency that once the gem's quality was assessed it could rank "between the 10th and 15th largest gem-diamonds ever recovered".

The US-based analyst said such a find by a so-called artisanal miner, the term for workers who use basic tools or their bare hands to sift the earth, was highly unusual.

"Most recent exceptional diamond discoveries have been made by large commercial miners that mine very large volumes of kimberlite ore and process it with advanced equipment," Zimnisky said.

Even though diamonds can be found in about a quarter of Sierra Leone, the country of about six million people is one of the world's five poorest nations, according to the United Nations.


http://www.ireporteronline.com/49625_impressive-sierra-leone-pastor-finds-huge-706-carat-diamond

uncut diamond. that's one of the biggest ever found.
DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER - James Bond 007

Oyibo will now buy for cheap only to resell it at Brussels for millions...

This can never happen in my dear country.. Greedy mofos na im full here.

And how much dem give d mumu pastor

Even an angel won't be able to do that.. Diamond?

That is a man of God.

They said that Diamond is worth millions of dollars. Saw the news on CNN earlier today.

I dnt need to see any miracle.

I dnt need to watch him give out 1/100th of his loots from the poor to the poor.

Good of Him

Nigerian pastors no go do that one

THAT IS A TRUE MAN OF GOD NOT ALL THESE FAKE PROPHETS WE HAVE HERE IN NIGERIA. E.G. APOSTLE SULEIMAN ETC.

Keep the good work.
You have just dissapointed some infidels waiting for the slightest bad news on Christian preachers.

Lol...

You go fear comments na for NL...

.....if I be em wife. ...

i trust naija pastors:they will say its God's blessing in disguise..

A pastor that will tell that retaliation is part of christianity wont hesitate to sell this diamond if he had found it.

Most Nigerian pentecostal churches are on par with devils and thieves

706 carat diamond

Depending on its purity and clarity, the diamond value could be up to tens or hundreds million US dollars

Yeah you heard me right! Tens or hundreds million dollars.

Wow! Wow! Wow!

There are still real pastors

Apostle Suleiman sef will sell it

Why give it to the government?

i trust my fellow countrymen, they know how best to handle it.

man dem

True pastor!! That's my pastor.... God's grace Sir!!

Am Speechless.

Seria Leone should be one of the best city in the world, but Africa which way?

dis pastor no try oo
dis is a free gift of nature from the lord

A rare gem found by a rare gem. Most people will disappear and reappear in Amsterdam with wads of cash for themselves.

Crazy story ..I consider my self a very upright and honest man but I will never handover such a find to the Nigerian Govt if this happened in Nigeria

Oga Pastor, the Lord shall be your strength.

But, God himself knows I won't do what you did.

ExAngel007:
uncut diamond. that's one of the biggest ever found.

Just like you. You sparkle like one, and I want to believe you're more precious and more valuable.

That pastor na compound fo***oL. In this bUhari regime?

Wow this is beautiful with a beautiful heart