‘Beyond words’: World’s largest square emerald cut diamond unveiled
Chairman of jewellers which unveil priceless gem, Laurence Graff, says his 'love affair with diamonds is life-long and crafting the Graff Lesedi La Rona has been an honour'
A London-based luxury jeweller has unveiled what is said to be the world’s largest square emerald cut diamond.
The Graff Lesedi La Rona weighs 302.37 carats and is the “largest, highest clarity, highest colour diamond ever graded by the GIA”, (Gemological Institute of America) said Graff.
The gem has a top D colour grade, meaning it is colourless – a trait which makes a diamond more valuable.
It was cut and polished with painstaking care over 18 months from the second-largest rough diamond ever found – the 1,109 carat Lesedi La Rona, found in Botswana in 2015.
Graff chairman Laurence Graff, was born in Stepney in 1938 into a Jewish family, the son of a Romanian mother, Rebecca Segal, and a Russian father, Harr.
He said “My love affair with diamonds is life-long and crafting the Graff Lesedi La Rona has been an honour.
“This diamond, our diamond, is beyond words.
“All our expertise, skill and accomplishment went into crafting this incredible diamond masterpiece, which is extraordinary in every way.
“The Graff Lesedi La Rona is an exceptional diamond with an exceptional cut and exceptional proportions, earning its place in history as the largest and finest of its kind in the world.”
Some 66 ‘satellite’ diamonds were also polished from the original rough stone, Graff added.
Lesedi La Rona means “Our Light” in Tswana, the main language of Botswana.
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