Pastor Emmanuel Momoh found the 706-carat alluvial diamond in Yakadu village in Sierra Leone's diamond-rich east, and it was presented to President Ernest Bai Koroma on Wednesday, said presidential spokesman Abdulai Bayraytay. The gem, a bit smaller than a hockey puck, is the second largest diamond found in Sierra Leone. In 1972, the 968.9-carat Star of Sierra Leone was found by miners and sold for about $2.5 million. Sierra Leone's diamond wealth fueled a decade-long civil war that ended in 2002. Spokesman Bayraytay said the diamond has not yet been valued and has been placed in the Bank of Sierra Leone.

Source: ABC News March 16, 2017 14:08 UTC