RAPAPORT... Once in a blue moon, a diamond comes along so spectacular that it takes your breath away. This month, Cora International will debut just such a diamond at the Basel Fair — a 218.08-carat D/IF cushion. Its sheer size is awesome — the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has stated that the stone is the largest D/IF cushion cut in the world. And its sparkle is a rainbow of color that explodes like fireworks on the Fourth of July. The 65-facet stone is a celebration of one of nature’s gifts and the skill of human touch.
For Ara Arslanian, chief executive officer (CEO) of Cora International, it was love at first sight. He knew that he had to have it the first minute that he saw the 564-carat rough stone from Angola at a buying office in Antwerp in 2005. With over 30 years in the business, his instincts told him to buy it. Arslanian knew the block-shaped rough, known to insiders as makbar, was meant to be a cushion. The natural shape of the rough, which needed no cleaving or lasering, led two master cutters at Cora International’s New York factory on an eight-month journey to craft the diamond into a confection of pure scintillation.
Amber Michelle
Editor-in-Chief
Article from the Rapaport Magazine - April 2007. To subscribe click here.