Lesedi La Rona to be auctioned next week
22.06.16
The Lesedi La Rona, a 1,109-carat rough diamond of exceptional transparency and quality, will be offered at Sotheby’s next week.
The second largest, gem-quality rough diamond to have appeared since the early 20th century – when the Cullinan rough was discovered in 1905 - will be auctioned on the 29th of June in London.
The largest gem-quality diamond weighting 3,106.75 carats was found at the Cullinan Mine near Pretoria, South Africa. Subsequently, it was cut into nine polished gems. One of them, the 530.4 carats Great Star of Africa, became the largest clear cut diamond in the world and was set into Queen Elizabeth II’s sceptre. The other eight became part of the Crown Jewels of Great Britain.
The size of a tennis ball, the Lesedi La Rona is a Type IIa diamond. Stones falling under this category are the most valued and chemically purest type of diamonds; that comprise less than 2% of all gem-quality diamonds.
The remarkable diamond was discovered 60 metres deep the earth’s surface in Bostwana (Karowe mine) last November. In Tswana language spoken in the country, Lesedi La Rona stands for “our light”, symbolising the pride and history of the people of Botswana.
David Bennett, Sotheby’s jewellery division chairman, called the diamond “the find of a lifetime” and said that “no rough even remotely of this scale has ever been offered before at public auction”.
The Lesedi La Rona will be auctioned at a special standalone sale with an estimate of £49 million ($70 million). Money from the sale will go to the Botswana government and benefit the local communities.
