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De Grisogono Buys Rights to 813ct. Diamond
Sep 11, 2016 9:33 AM
By Rapaport News
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RAPAPORT... De Grisogono purchased the rights to the world’s most
expensive rough diamond, the Constellation, it announced at the launch of the
28th Biennale des Antiquaires in Paris.
The Switzerland-based jeweler entered into a partnership
with Dubai-based Nemesis International which bought
the 813-carat diamond from Lucara Diamond Corporation for $63 million in May following
a competitive bidding process. It was recovered at the Karowe mine in Botswana
in November.
Cutting and polishing of the Constellation – scheduled to
finish by mid-2017 – may result in one of the world’s largest flawless
diamonds, De Grisogono said at the event at the Grand Palais September 9.
“By purchasing the rights to the Constellation, De Grisogono
has shown its commitment to bringing the most unique stones from around the
world to our clients in exceptional and exclusive pieces,” said John Leitao,
the jeweler’s chief executive officer. “Despite a challenging market
environment, people will continue to cherish and value those objects which are
truly unique and special, such as this extraordinary piece of history."
While the Constellation was outshone by the 1,109-carat
Lesedi La Rona, whose discovery at Karowe was announced
in the same week, that larger diamond has not yet sold and remains in
Lucara’s inventory. It was tipped to fetch more than $70 million, but bids at a
Sotheby’s auction in June failed
to meet the reserve price.
De Grisogono also bought
the rights to market a 404-carat rough diamond from Nemesis International in
May. The stone was recovered by Lucapa Diamond Company at its Lulo mine
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Tags:
Biennale des Antiquaires, Constellation, De Grisogono, Karowe, Lesedi La Rona, Lucara Diamond Corporation, paris, Rapaport News
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