Gemfields discovers 5,655 carat emerald at Kagem mine in Zambia

Gemfields discovers 5,655 carat emerald at Kagem mine in Zambia

Gemfields said it has discovered an emerald crystal of 5,655 carats which it says has "a remarkable clarity and a perfectly balanced golden green tint" which he called "Inkalamu", the Emerald Lion.

Inkalamu was discovered in Kagem, the world's largest emerald mine, owned 75 percent by Gemfields and 25 percent owned by Zambia's government-owned Industrial Development Corporation of Zambia.

"The discovery of this exceptional gemstone is such an important moment for us and for the emerald world in general," commented Elena Basaglia, gemologist for Gemfields in London.

"We are witnessing a dramatic increase in the demand for high quality Zambian emeralds from major brands, especially in Europe, who all admire the rich colors and unique transparency of our precious stones - qualities that make them unique. unique among emeralds, "she says. "It is difficult to estimate the number of precious stones that will be carved from Inkalamu, but the valuable expertise of Gemfields partners will allow this gem to make its mark in the history of exceptional gemstones. The offspring of this lion - 'The pride of Inkalamu' so to speak - will continue the legacy for generations to come! "

Inkalamu was discovered in the eastern part of Kagem's largest open-pit mine on October 2, 2018 by geologist Debapriya Rakshit and emerald miner Richard Kapeta, who has more than a decade of operational experience Zambian emeralds for Gemfields. This area of ​​the mine has been particularly fertile in recent months as Kagem's team recovered several important crystals, but none of the size, color and clarity of the Emerald Lion, said the miner. .

Gemfields chose the name 'Inkalamu' (which means' lion 'in the local Bemba language) in honor of the work done by two of Gemfields' conservation partners, the Zambian Carnivore Program (www.zambiancarnivores.org) and the Niassa Carnivore Project in Mozambique (www.niassalion.org). These partners work tirelessly to facilitate relationships between African carnivores and local communities in vast, remote and difficult areas. The health of carnivores, which are at the top of the food chain, is widely regarded as a good indicator of the health of the wider ecosystem.

Gemfields has three-year philanthropic sponsorships with each organization to assist them in wildlife conservation, promote community development and tackle the problem of poaching by developing alternative livelihoods. In addition, Gemfields will distribute equally between the two carnivorous initiatives 10% of the proceeds of the auction of Inkalamu.

The Emerald Lion will go on sale at the upcoming Gemfields auction in Singapore in November to about 45 approved partners, chosen by Gemfields for their shared values ​​of responsible practices, the company said. Unlike the diamond industry, the price of exceptionally large emeralds like Inkalamu is particularly difficult to predict.

"We expect a number of high quality, high quality emeralds to be carried by Inkalamu Crystal," said Adrian Banks, Gemfields' General Manager for Products and Sales. "These important pieces are what bring value to the buyer, and there may be hundreds of falls that are turned into smaller gemstones, cabochons and pearls, but the key lies in the recovery of the beautiful, quality pieces . Since this emerald is such a rare find, it is also perfectly conceivable that the buyer chooses to buy it as an investment. "

The miner added that the Emerald Lion will benefit from the "Provenance Proof" nanotechnology from the Gübelin Gem Lab, in which nanometric particles coded with the original mine will identify the place of origin of the gemstone for decades to come up.