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Sotheby’s to sell Botswana’s legendary ‘Lesedi la Rona’ rough diamond

───   12:43 Thu, 05 May 2016

Sotheby’s to sell Botswana’s legendary ‘Lesedi la Rona’ rough diamond | News Article

Gaborone - Renowned British auction house Sotheby’s has announced it will on June 29 conduct the auction of the 1 109 carats “Lesedi La Rona” diamond recovered by Lucara Diamonds from the Karowe Mine in Botswana.


In a statement released on May 5, Sotheby’s said it was pleased to partner Lucara Diamonds in a historic stand-alone auction of the gem which is expected to sell for over US$70 million.

“Sotheby’s is privileged to announce that it will auction the 1 109 carats 'Lesedi la Rona', the largest gem-quality rough diamond to be discovered in over a century and the largest rough diamond in existence today in a stand-alone sale in London on 29 June 2016. Estimated to achieve in excess of $70 million, the Lesedila Rona was uncovered by Lucara Diamond Corp. in November 2015 at Karowe Mine in Botswana.

“Around the size of a tennis ball (measuring approximately 66.4 x 55 x 42mm), this colossal rough diamond of exceptional transparency and quality is around 2.5 to over 3 billion years old. Diamonds have been mined continuously for centuries, yet nothing of the size and quality of Lesedi La Rona has been found in over 100 years. In terms of size, the rough is exceeded only by the legendary Cullinan Diamond, mined in South Africa in 1905,” the company said.

David Bennett, who is Worldwide Chairperson of Sotheby’s Jewellery Division described “Lesedi la Rona” as an outstanding discovery of a lifetime in terms of its size and quality. The diamond will be available for public viewing at Sotheby’s New York on May 7 before being taken to Sotheby’s in London where it will be exhibited from 18 to 28 June ahead of its auction in the evening of 29 June, 2016.

ANA

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