Okavango Diamond Company finds and polishes a 20 carat unique fancy deep blue

The Okavango Diamond Company revealed a unique polished blue diamond weighing over 20 carats, the biggest blue diamond discovery ever made in Botswana.

GIA graded the 20.46 carat gem as a type IIb, Fancy Deep Blue, oval brilliant cut, VVS2.

The diamond was discovered at Botswana’s Orapa mine as a 41.11 carat rough stone. Its unique and vibrant blue color is the result of the inclusion of boron which between one to three billion years ago was present in the rocks of ancient oceans during violent diamond forming volcanic activity.

“From the first moment we saw the diamond, it was clear we had something very special. Everyone who has viewed the 20 carat polished diamond has marveled at its unique coloration which many see as unlike any blue stone they have seen before. It is incredibly unusual for a stone of this color and nature to have come from Botswana, a once in a lifetime find, which is about as rare as a star in the Milky Way,” says Marcus Ter Haar, MD of Okavango Diamond Company.

“It is little surprise blue diamonds are so sought after around the world as only a very small percentage of the world’s diamonds are classified as fancy color and, of those, only a select few can be classified as being Fancy Blue,” he added.

“At ODC we have access to 15 percent of Debswana’s run of mine production and feel extremely fortunate to be involved in such a singular find. Only a handful of similar blue stones have come to market during the last decade, of which the Okavango Blue rightfully takes its place as one of the most significant,” said Ter Haar.

The iconic Okavango Blue will be showcased over the coming months to promote Botswana as a leading global producer of natural ethical diamonds with an anticipated sale toward the end of the year.

Source:DCLA

Okavango Diamond Company finds and polishes a 20 carat unique fancy deep blue

The Okavango Diamond Company revealed a unique polished blue diamond weighing over 20 carats, the biggest blue diamond discovery ever made in Botswana.

GIA graded the 20.46 carat gem as a type IIb, Fancy Deep Blue, oval brilliant cut, VVS2.

The diamond was discovered at Botswana’s Orapa mine as a 41.11 carat rough stone. Its unique and vibrant blue color is the result of the inclusion of boron which between one to three billion years ago was present in the rocks of ancient oceans during violent diamond forming volcanic activity.

“From the first moment we saw the diamond, it was clear we had something very special. Everyone who has viewed the 20 carat polished diamond has marveled at its unique coloration which many see as unlike any blue stone they have seen before. It is incredibly unusual for a stone of this color and nature to have come from Botswana, a once in a lifetime find, which is about as rare as a star in the Milky Way,” says Marcus Ter Haar, MD of Okavango Diamond Company.

“It is little surprise blue diamonds are so sought after around the world as only a very small percentage of the world’s diamonds are classified as fancy color and, of those, only a select few can be classified as being Fancy Blue,” he added.

“At ODC we have access to 15 percent of Debswana’s run of mine production and feel extremely fortunate to be involved in such a singular find. Only a handful of similar blue stones have come to market during the last decade, of which the Okavango Blue rightfully takes its place as one of the most significant,” said Ter Haar.

The iconic Okavango Blue will be showcased over the coming months to promote Botswana as a leading global producer of natural ethical diamonds with an anticipated sale toward the end of the year.

Source:DCLA

Botswana unveils rare 20 carat blue diamond

Botswana’s state run Okavango Diamond Company unveiled on Wednesday what is believed to be the largest blue diamond ever discovered in the southern African country, which is one of the world’s top producers.

The 20.46 carat, oval-shape fancy precious rock has been named “The Okavango Blue” in honour of the Okavango Delta, the country’s wildlife rich world heritage site.

From all coloured diamonds, blue stones are the most unusual and so the miner says its find is one of the rarest in the world.

“It is incredibly unusual for a stone of this colour and nature to have come from Botswana a once in lifetime find, which is about as rare as a star in the Milky Way,” Okavango Diamond Company managing director Marcus ter Haar said in a statement.

“It sits in the very top bracket of all time historical blue diamond finds especially because only a very small percentage of the world’s diamonds are classified as fancy colour,” he noted, adding the company expects to sell the stone by the end of the year.

In 2016, a massive intense blue diamond, known as The Cullinan Dream, sold for $25.4 million at a Christie’s auction in New York, breaking all records and becoming the most expensive gem of its kind ever sold at auction.
Last year, a 6.16 carat blue diamond, secretly passed down through European royalty over three centuries, fetched $6.7 million at a Sotheby’s auction in Geneva $1.4 million more than what experts expected it to be sold for.

Arguably, the most famous is the Hope Diamond, also known as Le Bijou du Roi “the King’s Jewel”, Le bleu de France “France’s Blue”, and the Tavernier Blue. The massive, 45.52 carat, deep blue diamond is now kept at the U.S. National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.

Botswana, which was overtaken by Russia as the world’s top diamond producing country in 2014, is grappling with aging mines, as well as power and water shortages.

Still, diamonds are the country’s main source of income and account for about 80% of its exports.

The nation is home to some of the world’s most prolific diamond mines, including Lucara Diamond’s Karowe operation, where the now famous Lesedi la Rona, the second-largest gem-quality diamond to ever be found, was unearthed in 2016.

Source: DCLA

Botswana unveils rare 20 carat blue diamond

Botswana’s state run Okavango Diamond Company unveiled on Wednesday what is believed to be the largest blue diamond ever discovered in the southern African country, which is one of the world’s top producers.

The 20.46 carat, oval-shape fancy precious rock has been named “The Okavango Blue” in honour of the Okavango Delta, the country’s wildlife rich world heritage site.

From all coloured diamonds, blue stones are the most unusual and so the miner says its find is one of the rarest in the world.

“It is incredibly unusual for a stone of this colour and nature to have come from Botswana a once in lifetime find, which is about as rare as a star in the Milky Way,” Okavango Diamond Company managing director Marcus ter Haar said in a statement.

“It sits in the very top bracket of all time historical blue diamond finds especially because only a very small percentage of the world’s diamonds are classified as fancy colour,” he noted, adding the company expects to sell the stone by the end of the year.

In 2016, a massive intense blue diamond, known as The Cullinan Dream, sold for $25.4 million at a Christie’s auction in New York, breaking all records and becoming the most expensive gem of its kind ever sold at auction.
Last year, a 6.16 carat blue diamond, secretly passed down through European royalty over three centuries, fetched $6.7 million at a Sotheby’s auction in Geneva $1.4 million more than what experts expected it to be sold for.

Arguably, the most famous is the Hope Diamond, also known as Le Bijou du Roi “the King’s Jewel”, Le bleu de France “France’s Blue”, and the Tavernier Blue. The massive, 45.52 carat, deep blue diamond is now kept at the U.S. National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.

Botswana, which was overtaken by Russia as the world’s top diamond producing country in 2014, is grappling with aging mines, as well as power and water shortages.

Still, diamonds are the country’s main source of income and account for about 80% of its exports.

The nation is home to some of the world’s most prolific diamond mines, including Lucara Diamond’s Karowe operation, where the now famous Lesedi la Rona, the second-largest gem-quality diamond to ever be found, was unearthed in 2016.

Source: DCLA

Tiffany Is Training Africans to Cut Diamonds Sourced From Region

Tiffany & Co. has been expanding its workforce in sub Saharan Africa, a region of almost one billion people where the jewelry giant doesn’t have a single store.

More than a quarter of the New York based company’s 1,500 global diamond cutters and polishers are now based in Africa, Chief Executive Officer Alessandro Bogliolo said in an interview in Cape Town.

Tiffany has factories in Botswana and Mauritius with staff subject to “intensive training” over two years, he said, making it the only western luxury brand that doesn’t outsource production of its African stones.

Botswana is the world’s largest diamond producer after Russia, and is the only African country where Tiffany both buys and prepares its stones.

While it also sources diamonds from mines in South Africa, Namibia and Sierra Leone, it won’t do business in Zimbabwe and Angola because of the human-rights situation in those countries, Bogliolo said.

“If you buy from a world class brand, it’s because you trust that this brand has done all that is humanly possible to guarantee that the product is not only crafted to the highest standard, but also ethical and traceable in its manufacturing,’’ the CEO said.

Ethical Jewelry

The move to hire and train African polishers and cutters comes as Tiffany strives to be completely transparent about how its diamonds progress from deep underground to the engagement rings of wives to be.

That’s in line with a wider trend in consumer goods industries to tap into demand for products that younger shoppers see as ethical.

This year, the company started to share the origin of its diamonds with customers, an initiative Bogliolo believes will push the entire industry to follow suit.

Tiffany has been trying to recoup sales that have been hit by a slowdown of Chinese tourist spending in the U.S., including an expansion of the business in Beijing and Shanghai.

While Bogliolo said the jeweler has a lot of customers in Africa, they’re forced to leave the continent to make purchases as the retailer’s only outlets there are in Egypt.

However, the CEO said South Africa is an “interesting market” where the company might eventually open at least one store.

“There’s no doubt that we will have a more robust presence on this continent,” he said. “It’s just a matter of finding the right location and the critical mass in order to have a sustainable business.”
 
Tiffany shares have gained 32 percent this year, valuing the company at $12.9 billion.

Source: DCLA

Tiffany Is Training Africans to Cut Diamonds Sourced From Region

Tiffany & Co. has been expanding its workforce in sub Saharan Africa, a region of almost one billion people where the jewelry giant doesn’t have a single store.

More than a quarter of the New York based company’s 1,500 global diamond cutters and polishers are now based in Africa, Chief Executive Officer Alessandro Bogliolo said in an interview in Cape Town.

Tiffany has factories in Botswana and Mauritius with staff subject to “intensive training” over two years, he said, making it the only western luxury brand that doesn’t outsource production of its African stones.

Botswana is the world’s largest diamond producer after Russia, and is the only African country where Tiffany both buys and prepares its stones.

While it also sources diamonds from mines in South Africa, Namibia and Sierra Leone, it won’t do business in Zimbabwe and Angola because of the human-rights situation in those countries, Bogliolo said.

“If you buy from a world class brand, it’s because you trust that this brand has done all that is humanly possible to guarantee that the product is not only crafted to the highest standard, but also ethical and traceable in its manufacturing,’’ the CEO said.

Ethical Jewelry

The move to hire and train African polishers and cutters comes as Tiffany strives to be completely transparent about how its diamonds progress from deep underground to the engagement rings of wives to be.

That’s in line with a wider trend in consumer goods industries to tap into demand for products that younger shoppers see as ethical.

This year, the company started to share the origin of its diamonds with customers, an initiative Bogliolo believes will push the entire industry to follow suit.

Tiffany has been trying to recoup sales that have been hit by a slowdown of Chinese tourist spending in the U.S., including an expansion of the business in Beijing and Shanghai.

While Bogliolo said the jeweler has a lot of customers in Africa, they’re forced to leave the continent to make purchases as the retailer’s only outlets there are in Egypt.

However, the CEO said South Africa is an “interesting market” where the company might eventually open at least one store.

“There’s no doubt that we will have a more robust presence on this continent,” he said. “It’s just a matter of finding the right location and the critical mass in order to have a sustainable business.”
 
Tiffany shares have gained 32 percent this year, valuing the company at $12.9 billion.

Source: DCLA

$1 million plus perfume bottle

This record breaking perfume bottle is covered in 3,500 diamonds.

The new unisex fragrance made by Spirit of Dubai Par fums is also described as the world’s most expensive at a cost of $1.295 million.
The bottle w
as designed by Asghar Adam Ali Ibrahim, and sits in a wheeled pedestal.

It is also the tallest commercially available remote controlled fragrance spray bottle at 1.97 m.

Users can adjust the sprayer height and direction with a remote control.

Spirit of Dubai says SHUMUKH, which translates to ‘deserving the highest’, unites both jewellery and perfume to create a product that “tells the tale of Dubai through seven core design elements”.

After the certificate presentation on 12 March, the record-breaking bottle was displayed in The Dubai Mall’s Fashion Avenue as part of its ART+ series.

Source: Guinness world records