Gemfields, the leader in responsibly-sourced colored stones, announced the recent discovery of “Inkalamu,” the Lion Emerald. Weighing in at an extraordinary 5,655 carats, the Zambian emerald crystal was found in the world’s largest emerald mine, Kagem, by geologist Debapriya Rakshit and veteran emerald miner, Richard Kapeta.
“The discovery of this exceptional gemstone is such an important moment both for us and for the emerald world in general” said Elena Basaglia, Gemfields’ dynamic London-based gemmologist.
Courtesy of Gemfields.
The emerald was named (as is tradition for remarkable stones) Inkalamu after the local Bemba word for “lion,” honoring two of Gemfields’ conservation partners, Zambian Carnivore Programme (ZCP) and Niassa Carnivore Project (NCP), who both play a part in preserving the health of Africa’s carnivores.
This November in Singapore, the gem will be offered for sale at Gemfields’ emerald auction, where an exclusive list of 45 approved buyers will have the chance to bid on the stone. Following the sale, 10 percent of the proceeds from the Lion Emerald will be then donated to the ZCP and NCP.
Courtesy of Gemfields.
“It’s difficult to estimate how many individual gems will be cut from Inkalamu, but the cutting expertise of Gemfields’ auction partners will mean that this gemstone will make its mark in the history books of exceptional gemstones. This lion’s resulting offspring, “The Pride of Inkalamu” so to speak, will continue the legacy for generations to come!” Basaglia said.
In order to provide end consumers with peace of mind regarding their investment in the Lion Emerald’s offspring, Inkalamu will undergo the “Provenance Proof” nanotechnology from the Gübelin Gem Lab, wherein nano-sized particles encoded with the mine-of-origin will help enable the gem (and its resulting pride of lions) to be identified for decades into the future.
Courtesy of Gemfields.
