Lucara sells rough diamond for record-breaking £43.5m
Diamond production firm Lucara has announced it has achieved the highest price ever achieved for the sale of a rough diamond.
The 812.77-carat type IIa rough diamond, which was recovered from the Karowe mine in Botswana in november last year, has been sold by the company for $63m (£43.5m).
As part of the sale, Lucara has also retained a 10% interest in the net profit received from the sale of the finished polished diamonds.
In collaboration with its partner, Nemesis International, Lucara has named the diamond “The Constellation”.
William Lamb, president and CEO, said: “We are very pleased with the result from the sale of this magnificent 813ct diamond as well as the opportunity to further participate in profits earned when the polished product is sold.
“The sale of the 813 carat diamond is the highest price ever achieved for a rough diamond, breaking all records.”
The sale comes shortly after Lucara announced the largest rough diamond to be discovered in over a century, at 1109-carats – will go on at a standalone Sotheby’s auction in London on June 29, 2016. It is expected that the diamond could sell for up to £48m.
