The Discovery
David Ledbetter
Discoverer of Skystone
David Lamar Ledbetter June 30, 195o - May 6, 2018. Noted Gem and Diamond Prospector. Beginning in 1986, David mined and explored gem deposits in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Brazil, Columbia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Russia. Skystone was added to his list of discoveries, in 1991 when he purchased his first diamond concession in Sierra Leone. Skystone was unearthed soon after.
Photo is of David on the Guinea Sierra Leone Border
Skystone was discovered by noted diamond & gem prospector, David Ledbetter; during an excursion into the jungles of Sierra Leone in 1991. It was during a meeting, with then President Joseph Momoh; that David learned of the location of the remote village, and first heard the rumors of the strange blue material found nearby. It took several weeks to reach the village, trekking across the heart of war-torn Sierra Leone. Once located, mining rights were secured, and all known samples of Skystone were extracted and legally exported back to the US. The entire recovery of Skystone has remained in the same private ownership of family and friends since. its discovery. David maintained a close relationship with the village chief until his passing in 2018. Skystone remains an enigma today, with several Universities & Laboratories researching the origins of the mysterious material.
Excavation site of Skystone, found accompanying diamond and gold deposits, Sierra Leone, circa 1991.
David's final expedition in Africa, circa 2001, accompanied by security and workers. He attempted several times to find the lost village, where Skystone was found. The decade long civil war enabled the jungle to reclaim the village.