World's third-largest diamond arrives in Antwerp for analysis

World's third-largest diamond arrives in Antwerp for analysis
Credit: Belga

On Monday, the third-largest diamond in the world which is reportedly more than 1.5 billion years old arrived in Antwerp, where it will be analysed and processed to determine how much it is worth.

The value of the 1,175-carat diamond - roughly the size of a baseball- can only be determined once the analysis is finalised, however, according to estimated guesses, it is worth tens of millions of euros.

"This is really a unique stone, the purity and transparency are unseen," according to Rafael Papismedov, who works at the diamond company HB Antwerp that will be working on the diamond.

The gem hailing from Botswana, alongside the other diamonds of the five-set piece, which all together weighs 2,500 carats, will be thoroughly analysed over the next four to six months to determine its exact composition, quality, thickness and purity.

"The diamond was brought to Antwerp because we are the only city in the world that can process this kind of diamond," Papismedov explained.

Before it is then cut into smaller diamonds to be used in jewellery, the diamond will go on tour.

"People need to see this and take it in their hands before we polish it into smaller diamonds. The next stop is New York," Papismedov said.

A spokesperson for the company emphasised that the Botswana government will also be involved in the whole process so that the people of Botswana can also enjoy to the maximum what this kind of exceptional find brings.

The name will be chosen in a competition among locals near the mine where it was originally from.


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