The gem is the largest square-emerald cut diamond in the world
In the market for a piece of ȿτɑτємєɴτ jewellery? Would302.37 carats of diamond be enough of a ȿτɑτємєɴτ for you? Graff Diamonds announced on Wednesdaythat the largestsquare-emerald cut diamond in the world is available for sale. though the price was not disclosed.
The finished stone, named Graff Lesedi La Rona,is the principal diamond from the 1,109 carat Lesedi La Rona ɾօυɢҺ diamond found in 2015 in Botswana.Lucara Diamond Corporationsold the Lesedi La Rona to Graff Diamonds for$53 million (Dh194.6 million) – a cool $47,777 per carat – in 2017.
The sheer size of the diamond posed a challenge for the Graff gemmologists tasked with analysing, cuttingand finishing the stone: it was too big for their equipment.
A new scanner had to be built specifically for this ɾօυɢҺ diamond; it is equipped with specialised imaging softwareto map the stone and determine what kind of cut would lead to the largest, most brilliant diamond.The entire process took more than18 months, according to the company.
“Cutting a diamond of this size is an art form, the ultimate art of sculpture,” Laurence Graff, founder of Graff Diamonds, said in a ȿτɑτємєɴτ. “It is the riskiest form of art, because you can never add and you can never cover up a mistake;you can only take away. You have to be careful and you have to be perfect.”
In addition to the Graff Lesedi La Rona, 66 “satellite” diamondsresulted from the ɾօυɢҺ stone. Thesiblingsrange from less thana carat to more than26 carats.
