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Russian miner Alrosa (MCX:ALRS), the world’s top diamond producer by output will auction Wednesday a rare collection of diamonds produced domestically, including the most expensive rock ever polished in the country — a giant 51.4-carat gem.
More than 130 potential buyers have already registered to participate in tomorrow’s online sale of the diamond collection, all polished from a single rock, and named after the dynasties of the Romanov, the company said in a statement. That family ruled for more than 300 years before the Russian Revolution.
Discovered in 2015, the rough version of the diamond was a massive 179-carat gem, found in a mine in the northeast region of Sakha. It was then cut and polished into five smaller gems, named after noble families of the imperial era: Sheremetyev, Orlov, Vorontsov and Usupov.
The five diamonds. (Photo: Alrosa)
The largest of all bears the same name as the entire Dynasty collection. It’s a huge, traditional round-cut diamond, whose 2.5 cm (1 inch) diameter is equal in size to the visible part of a human eye.
“There was a good reason to choose the name for the collection, which is connected with Alrosa’s intention to revive the traditions and memory of renowned Russian jewelers famous for their craftsmanship and filigree since Russia’s first cutting and polishing factory founded by Peter I (the Great) early in the 18th century,” the company said.
The 179-carat rough diamond that was the source of the Dynasty collection. (Photo: Alrosa)
According to Alrosa, the Dynasty diamond is potentially the most expensive diamond manufactured in the history of Russian jewellery because of its quality.
Alrosa’s decision to produce these polished diamonds and sell them online fits with a broader industry quest to find new ways to the market and add value on the part of gem producers.
Alrosa and Anglo American’s De Beers unit, which for the first time auctioned polished stones this year, produce about half of the world’s rough diamonds.
Comments
Altaf
The article should have provided some more details like the weights of the remaining four diamonds, type of diamond (e.g. Ila) color, clarity etc. I am sure if the exposure the diamonds are getting means they must be D color IF clarity. Amused to know that a 51 carat stone is the biggest ever cut and polished in Russia. Globally the biggest stones cut and polished might be 10 times bigger.
But when we read the article, we get the feeling that these diamonds must be the biggest. Such is the energy of wording of the article.
I wonder if the mine location has anything to do with the nobles. Its just accidental that the rough was found in some location and Alrosa choose to name them after some famous nobles.