The historic 108.39-carat pink diamond recovered in March at the renowned Kao mine in the Kingdom of Lesotho is now in Antwerp, where it will be skillfully cut and polished into a series of finished diamonds by the Choron Group.
"Over the coming weeks and months, we will be taking you on a manufacturing journey from our base in Antwerp as we bring this once-in-a-lifetime diamond to life," Choron wrote on its Linkedin page. Founded in 1985, Choron is a leading diamond-industry player with a division that specializes in the manufacturing of exceptional rough diamonds.
Earlier this month, Choron agreed to purchase the Type IIa pink gem from Kao mine operator Storm Mountain Diamonds (SMD) for an undisclosed sum. Type IIa diamonds are chemically pure with no traces of nitrogen or boron impurities.
"It is a privilege for Choron to unlock the secrets within this remarkable pink diamond and we look forward to revealing the story of this historic diamond," said company CEO Anshul Gandhi. "Our artisans will meticulously transform this rough diamond into an array of polished diamonds that will be remembered for generations to come."
It's likely that the 108.39-carat fancy intense pink diamond will be divided into a large hero stone and a series of satellite stones. The anticipated sizes and shapes on the polished stones have yet to be revealed.
Gandhi told Rapaport News that SMD will retain a minority share in the stone, while Choron will manufacture and market it.
Storm Mountain Diamonds, which is jointly owned by Namakwa Diamonds Limited and the Government of Lesotho, noted that its March 2023 find is one of the largest pink diamonds ever to be discovered globally. In fact, the gem is more than twice the carat weight of the Kao mine’s previous record holder: the 47.81-carat “Pink Eternity,” which was discovered in 2022. Other notable pink diamonds from the mine include the “Pink Palesa” (21.68 carat, 2021) and the Rose of Kao (29.59 carats, 2018).
“SMD continues to consistently deliver extraordinary diamonds, and this diamond further cements the Kao mine as the primary producer of pink diamonds globally," noted Robert Cowley, Chairman of the Board of Directors of SMD. "We are thrilled to enter into this agreement with Choron and we look forward to the next chapter of this diamond’s story.”
Pink diamonds are in high demand and short supply since the November 2020 closure of Rio Tinto’s Argyle mine, which had been the world’s primary source of high-quality pink diamonds.
Credits: Images courtesy of Storm Mountain Diamonds.