The diamond, named Lesedi La Rona, weighs 1,109 carats
The diamond, named Lesedi La Rona, weighs 1,109 carats
Made by: Botswana
Sold for: USD 53.0 million
Auction house: Private sale
Sale date: September 2017
Seller: Canadian mining company Lucara Diamond Corp
Buyer: Laurence Graff
The diamond, named Lesedi La Rona, weighs 1,109 carats and is the size of a tennis ball. It was acquired by Laurence Graff, the company’s chairman, for $53 million from the chairman of Canadian mining company Lucara Diamond Corp. It originally failed to sell at a Sotheby’s sale held in June 2016. Graff said his team of master craftsmen will work “night and day to ensure that we do justice to this remarkable gift. The stone will tell us its story, it will dictate how it wants to be cut, and we will take the utmost care to respect its exceptional properties. This is a momentous day in my career.” The diamond is the largest rough diamond discovered in the last 100 years. It was found in Botswana and, according to the Gemological Institute of America, it stands out for its quality and transparency.