Alrosa finds 27.85 ct pink diamond, could be its most expensive ever if polished
MOSCOW. Sept 21 (Interfax) - Almazy Anabara, a subsidiary of Russian diamond monopoly Alrosa , has recovered a large pink rough diamond weighing 27.85 carats, the company said in a press release.
"This is a unique discovery: by far the company's largest pink rough diamond had a weight of about 4 carats. If the company decides to cut this stone, it could become the most expensive polished diamond in the history of Alrosa," the company said.
The rough diamond has dimensions of 22.47 x 15.69 x 10.9 mm. The pink stone is of gem-quality and almost free of inclusions.
Most often Alrosa recovers pink and other colored diamonds at Severalmaz kimberlite pipes or placer deposits of Almazy Anabara. Colored diamonds weighing over 10 carats are extremely rare and recovered about once a year. As for the pink shades, by far the largest pink diamond of Alrosa weighed 3.86 ct - it was found by Almazy Anabara in 2012. Apart from this stone, for the last eight years Alrosa has recovered only three pink diamonds weighing over 2 carats.
"The unique characteristics of the diamond make it an extraordinary, rare stone of high value. Currently, experts of United Selling Organization of Alrosa and the company's polishing division Diamonds Alrosa are examining the stone to make the decision: whether to auction it as a rough or cut it into polished diamond. Large stones, especially colored, are always in demand at auctions. But if the company decided to cut it, it would become the most expensive diamond in the entire history of Alrosa," said Evgeny Agureev, the head of USO Alrosa.