Sotheby’s is auctioning a 1109 carat rough diamond, the Lesedi La Rona. It is the largest high quality rough diamond discovered more than a century and the largest ever put on sale. The batsman’s hammer will fall to establish the price on June 29, in London. The estimate that the auction house is believed to reach astronomical: $ 70 million. The name comes from the Tswana language spoken in Botswana: it means “our light.” The stone was discovered by Lucara Diamond in November 2015, in the Karowe mine. It has the size of a tennis ball (about 66.4 x 55 x 42 mm), and has an exceptional transparency. In addition to great age: from 2.5 to more than 3 billion years.
In terms of size, this diamond is only surpassed by the legendary Cullinan diamond, mined in South Africa in 1905, from 3016.75 carats, which then generated the stones used in the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom, including Great Star of Africa , currently the largest diamond, weighing 530.20 carats.
According to a study by the Gemological Institute of America, the Lesedi La Rona has “exceptional color and higher transparency has been cataloged as part of a sub-group that comprises less than 2% of all diamonds,” the show the most chemically pure and often extraordinary transparency optical. ”
According to David Bennett, chairman of Sotheby’s jewelery section, “Lesedi La Rona it is simply outstanding.” In case you want to check it out (or prepare to participate in the auction, you never know) the Lesedi the Rona will be on display at Sotheby’s New York on May 7, and in London June 18 to 28. At least look costs nothing. Federico Graglia
