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Watch: What Do We Mean When We Say ‘Recycled’ Gold?Three industry experts dive into the complexities of the material often marketed as an “ethical” alternative for metal in jewelry.
SourcingMar 13, 2018
910-Carat Rough Diamond Sells for $40M
It’s the fifth-largest diamond ever found and has been named “The Lesotho Legend.”
The 910-carat diamond found in January sold Monday for $40 million, or $43,956 per carat. It is the fifth-largest rough diamond on record.
London--The fifth-largest diamond on record has a new owner and a new name, mining company Gem Diamonds Ltd. announced Tuesday morning.
The 910-carat diamond—said to be a Type IIa, D color stone—recovered in January from the Letšeng mine in Lesotho was sold at tender in Antwerp Monday for $40 million and dubbed “The Lesotho Legend.”
The diamond’s sale price works out to $43,956 per carat, putting it well below the world record per-carat price for a rough diamond, $77,649. That was set by the 812.77-carat Constellation, mined by Lucara Diamond Corp. in Botswana.
A Gem Diamonds spokesperson told National Jeweler Tuesday morning that Samir Gems, an Antwerp-based supplier founded in 1982 and run by the Bhansali family, purchased the stone with partners.
In a company news release, CEO Clifford Elphick said the company is “delighted” with the sale of the 910-carat diamond, which reaffirms the “unique quality of the Letšeng diamond production.”
A video of the diamond can be viewed at GemDiamonds.com.
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