Forevermark Appoints New CEO

De Beers jewelry subsidiary Forevermark has promoted chief operating officer Nancy Liu to CEO, as Stephen Lussier steps back.

She will take over the day-to-day running of the brand, allowing Lussier, who has been CEO since 2009, to increase his focus on shaping De Beers’ strategy at the consumer level, the company said last week. He will also continue in his position as Forevermark chairman, and will oversee its strategic role within the De Beers portfolio.

Liu joined Forevermark in 2008 as president of its Asia Pacific region. She was previously employed by L’Oréal, Louis Vuitton and the Boston Consulting Group.

“ Liu is an outstanding candidate to take over as CEO of Forevermark,” said Lussier. “As the brand sees rapid growth in Asia, Nancy’s exceptional expertise and knowledge of the region provides us with excellent continuity.”

De Beers appointed Liu to its executive committee in 2017.

Source: DCLA

Forevermark Appoints New CEO

De Beers jewelry subsidiary Forevermark has promoted chief operating officer Nancy Liu to CEO, as Stephen Lussier steps back.

She will take over the day-to-day running of the brand, allowing Lussier, who has been CEO since 2009, to increase his focus on shaping De Beers’ strategy at the consumer level, the company said last week. He will also continue in his position as Forevermark chairman, and will oversee its strategic role within the De Beers portfolio.

Liu joined Forevermark in 2008 as president of its Asia Pacific region. She was previously employed by L’Oréal, Louis Vuitton and the Boston Consulting Group.

“ Liu is an outstanding candidate to take over as CEO of Forevermark,” said Lussier. “As the brand sees rapid growth in Asia, Nancy’s exceptional expertise and knowledge of the region provides us with excellent continuity.”

De Beers appointed Liu to its executive committee in 2017.

Source: DCLA

Petra Diamonds on a roll after another major find at Cullinan

South Africa’s Petra Diamonds has found yet another big rock at its iconic Cullinan mine, the third coloured diamond over 100 carats since March that has been unearthed at the operation.

“It is the third Type II D colour gem quality diamond weighing more than 100 carats recovered at Cullinan since March”
The 209.9 carat, D colour, Type II gem quality diamond is also the fourth such stone discovered by Petra so far this financial year.

Source: DCLA

Petra Diamonds on a roll after another major find at Cullinan

South Africa’s Petra Diamonds has found yet another big rock at its iconic Cullinan mine, the third coloured diamond over 100 carats since March that has been unearthed at the operation.

“It is the third Type II D colour gem quality diamond weighing more than 100 carats recovered at Cullinan since March”
The 209.9 carat, D colour, Type II gem quality diamond is also the fourth such stone discovered by Petra so far this financial 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

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