Lucara Sells Its 813 Carat Diamond for US$63 Million, the Highest Price Ever Achieved for the Sale of a Rough Diamond.
Lucara Sells Its 813 Carat Diamond for US$63 Million, the Highest Price Ever Achieved for the Sale of a Rough Diamond.
Lucara, is pleased to announce that the exceptional 812.77 carat, Type IIa diamond recovered from the Karowe mine in Botswana in November 2015, has been sold for US$63,111,111 (US$77,649 per carat).
As part of the sale, Lucara has partnered with Nemesis International DMCC, and retains a 10% interest in the net profit received from the sale of the resultant polished diamonds.
The 813 carat diamond has been named, “The Constellation”, in collaboration with our partner. Lucara is a well-positioned diamond producer.
The Company’s main producing asset is the 100% owned Karowe Mine in Botswana.
De Beers which produces thirty percent of world rough diamonds has cut prices by 10 percent for the sight.
This comes after two reductions in its annual production output by 15 percent failed to slow slump in prices of rough.
Rough diamond prices have dropped 14 percent in some categories and are in their fifth consecutive quarterly loss, which is the longest in a decade.
De Beers cut the size of the sight to $250 million and reduced the prices by 9 percent, according to sight holders.
De Beers has also contributed tens of millions to a jewellery advertising campaign. Its advertising campaign will promote diamond jewellery in the U.S. and to Chinese consumers.
The new HRD Antwerp lab is located in the heart of the new diamond district.
HRD offers quality certification services in accordance with the IDC that reflect its pledge to ensure compliance with the same stringent quality standards applied in Antwerp, where its parent lab is located. The new facility is staffed with both local and Antwerp expert gemmologists.
The American Gem Society, in partnership with Verichannel, announced today the launch of a specialized search engine for diamonds graded by AGS Lab, available from AGS suppliers.
The online service is integrated into the members only section of the AGS website, and is also accessible to AGS members from the Verichannel platform itself. “AGS Diamond Search” consists of a database of stones uploaded by AGS suppliers, and also stones uploaded directly from the AGS Lab, immediately after being graded, based on permissions set by the supplier. They are searchable using standard criteria of color, clarity, shape, etc. AGS retailers contact suppliers directly to initiate a purchase.
“We’re very pleased to be able to make this resource available as a member benefit for AGS retailers and suppliers,” said Ruth Batson, AGS Chief Executive Officer. It makes sense to give our retail store buyers the most convenient means possible of finding AGS stones from AGS suppliers, essentially all in one place, and right there at our website.”
“We have already uploaded hundreds of stones into the AGS Diamond Search,” said Charles Rosario, Senior Vice President of Lazare Kaplan International Inc., an AGS supplier. “Given that this is a very targeted and exclusive environment, it provides a means of reaching out to AGS stores directly and efficiently.”
Verichannel created the concept of labs uploading diamonds online, immediately after being graded, when it launched its Daily Diamond Report service in January. “The same technology is being used for AGS Diamond Search,” noted Jacques Voorhees, president of Verichannel. “In today’s diamond market, buyers and sellers need to be able to communicate with each other as efficiently as possible, especially when it comes to finding the right diamond, and finding it quickly.”
“At the AGS Lab, we provide a direct feed of freshly graded diamonds to Verichannel’s database, with authorization from suppliers,” explained Peter Yantzer, Executive Director of Gemological Services for the AGS Lab. “These then instantly become part of the AGS Diamond Search system on the AGS website. It’s the fastest way imaginable to get a stone to market.”
“AGS Diamond Search will be a big time saver,” noted AGS retailer Tom Wright, of Wright’s Jewelers, Lincoln, Nebraska. “We’ll begin using this resource as soon as we’re back from Conclave.”
More information on AGS Diamond Search is available at www.ags.org and also at www.Verichannel.com.
