RAPAPORT... Alrosa is preparing to sell a rare, 14.83-carat pink later
this year, as the Russian miner continues its efforts to build up its
colored-diamond business.
The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) graded the
oval-shaped diamond as fancy vivid purple pink, with internally flawless
clarity, “excellent” polish, and “very good” symmetry. The GIA said the stone
was the largest of that color category it had assessed, Alrosa told Rapaport
News Tuesday.
“We expect this stone to become the most expensive of its
kind, as all the experts observe the unique combination of clean, smooth color
and clarity for [a] diamond of such size,” an Alrosa spokesperson added. The
company will release a price estimate at a later stage.
The stone originated from a 27.85-carat rough, the largest
pink diamond from any Russian mine. Alrosa unearthed it at its Ebelyakh deposit
in Yakutia in July 2017, and cut the stone over the course of a year at its
polishing factory in Moscow. It chose the oval shape to draw maximum attention
to the pink hue, while preserving as much weight as possible, the company
added.
Alrosa has named the polished The Spirit of the Rose, after
a ballet with Russian connections. It called the rough Nijinsky, a reference to
Vaslav Nijinsky, who danced one of the main parts in the ballet’s 1911 premiere.
Alrosa will showcase the diamond to select viewers in New
York in the coming weeks, and expects to sell it in November.
The miner has been promoting its colored-diamond business
recently. It launched its “True Colour” collection at the Hong Kong
Jewellery & Gem Fair in September 2018, and has previously said it planned
to “dominate” the sector.
Image: The Spirit of the Rose. (Alrosa)
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