How the Graff Lesedi La Rona diamond dazzled the gem world
The 302.37ct Botswana rock, dubbed ‘Our Light’, is a stone of superlatives in size, colour and clarity
From a 1,109-carat rough diamond, master diamond polishing has revealed the Graff Lesedi La Rona, a magnificent diamond of 302.37 carats. It is a stone of superlatives: in size, the second largest rough ever found, the largest square emerald cut in the world, and the highest colour, highest clarity diamond ever graded by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA).
Lesedi La Rona is a Botswana marvel, named in Tswana to mean “Our Light”. Laurence Graff, who has seen, and owned, some of the finest diamonds known to man, says, “This diamond, our diamond, is beyond words.”
Cutting and polishing such a remarkable gem demands high expertise and, probably, nerves of steel. Graff gemmologists cut, shaped and faceted Lesedi La Rona for more than 18 months, with hundreds of man-hours spent on polishing its table alone.“All our expertise, skill and accomplishment went into crafting this incredible diamond masterpiece, which is extraordinary in every way,” adds Graff.
Want more stories like this? Sign up here. Follow STYLE on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter