The 28.88-carat diamond, which Sotheby’s calls “a vanishingly rare feat of nature,” was mined at—and is named for—the Jwaneng diamond mine in Botswana.
London—A flawless, D-color diamond of nearly 29 carats is set to make a sparkling auction debut at Sotheby’s Hong Kong next month, where it is estimated to fetch between $2.2 million and $2.8 million.
It is Type IIa, the rarest and most chemically pure category of natural diamond, representing fewer than two percent of all diamonds discovered.
The stone was recovered from the Jwaneng diamond mine in Botswana, which is owned and operated by Debswana, the 50-50 joint mining venture between De Beers and Botswana. It is the world’s richest diamond mine by value.
The diamond is named “The Jwaneng 28.88”—“Jwaneng” means “a place of small stones” in Setswana, the national language of Botswana.
The 28.88-carat diamond will be offered at Sotheby’s live high jewelry sale in Hong Kong on April 23, where it is estimated to top $2 million.
The stone is a rare testament to time and origin, the auction house said.
It underwent months of meticulous study and planning by De Beers’ master specialists before it was fashioned from the 114.83-carat rough.
The miner, in partnership with Sotheby’s, unveiled the stone at a recent event celebrating the launch of its new book “A Diamond Is Forever,” which chronicles the history of the iconic 1947 tagline and more of the company’s marketing highlights over the last 100 years.
“Together, the book and the diamond mark a significant cultural moment—celebrating not only a phrase that reshaped modern ideas of love and commitment, but also the deeper truth that forever lives in what a culture chooses to treasure and remember,” the partners said.
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The book launch event took place at Maison Assouline, the luxury publisher’s boutique bookstore in London.
Several notable figures were in attendance including actor Archie Madekwe, actress Nathalie Emmanuel, singer Poppy Ajudha, and model Poppy Delevingne.
The event featured a special exhibition curated by Sophie Oppenheimer described as an exploration of “the living dialogue between diamonds and art, tracing how diamonds have been imagined, reinterpreted, and immortalized through art.”
On display were archival De Beers advertising works including Pierre Ino’s “The Miracle of Love” (1955) and “Treasures of the Heart” (1956) and Bernard Lamotte’s “How Far Its Beam” (1943), alongside seminal artworks such as Patrick Caulfield’s “Engagement Ring” (1963), Edward J. Burra’s “Spanish Music Hall” (1932), and Vik Muniz’s portrait of Rita Hayworth.
The curation revealed how diamonds continue to inspire artists across eras.
At the April sale, “Jwaneng 28.88” will be offered alongside additional De Beers diamonds from the mine. “Each stone tells a story of origin, love, and legacy, [in] which brilliance and provenance are exemplary,” Sotheby’s said.
There were also special pieces from De Beers London illustrating the stylistic history of diamond jewelry over the century, as well as a display of jewelry featuring rough and polished “Desert Diamonds.”
The exhibition culminated in an exclusive preview of “The Jwaneng 28.88.”
“The Jwaneng 28.88 is a perfect emblem of De Beers’ unmatched legacy in diamonds. It’s at once a vanishingly rare feat of nature, combined with a masterclass in diamond cutting and polishing,” said Quig Bruning, Sotheby’s head of jewels for the Americas and EMEA.
“Natural diamonds truly are forever, and I cannot think of a better stone to symbolize this special collaboration.”
The diamond will be offered at Sotheby’s live high jewelry sale in Hong Kong on April 23 alongside additional De Beers diamonds from the same mine.
More information is available on Sotheby’s website.
