(IDEX Online) - The Sewel?? ? diamond, the second largest rough gem ever found, is in Singapore on a "worldwide tour" before owners Louis Vuitton decide what to do with it.
The 1,758-carat stone, the size of a tennis ball, was discovered in the Karowe mine in Botswana in April 2019, and is the biggest diamond since the 3,106-carat Cullinan was discovered in South Africa in 1905.
The French luxury and fashion house Louis Vuitton bought the Sewel?? ? diamond from miners Lucara Diamond Corporation for an undisclosed sum.
There is speculation that the stone will yield a single ovale diamond of 900 carats or one 300-carat diamond plus multiple satellites of three to five carats. Louis Vuitton is working with Antwerp-based HB Company to decide how it will cut and polish the diamond for optimum yield.
It is on a tour of selected cities including London, Tokyo and Taipei and will return to Paris before a decision is made on the cut.
Michael Burke, chairman and CEO of Louis Vuitton, said: "This rough stone is unique. Unveiling it to a handful of clients is a testament to our daring spirit and our desire to be a major player in jewellery."