(IDEX Online) - Gemfields said it has discovered a 5,655-carat emerald crystal which it says has "remarkable clarity and a perfectly balanced golden green hue" which it has named the 'Inkalamu', the Lion Emerald.
Inkalamu was discovered at Kagem, the world's largest emerald mine, which is 75% owned by Gemfields and 25% by the Industrial Development Corporation of Zambia which belongs to the government of Zambia.
"The discovery of this exceptional gemstone is such an important moment both for us and for the emerald world in general," commented Elena Basaglia, Gemfields' London-based gemologist.
"We are experiencing strikingly increased demand for high-quality Zambian emeralds from the major brands, particularly in Europe, all of whom admire the rich color and unique transparency of our gems - qualities that make them unique among emeralds," she said. "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!"
Inkalamu was discovered in the eastern part of Kagem's largest open-pit mine on 2 October 2018 by geologist Debapriya Rakshit and veteran emerald miner Richard Kapeta, who has more than a decade of experience mining Zambian emeralds for Gemfields. This area of the mine has proven to be particularly fertile in recent months with the Kagem team recovering several significant crystals there, but none with the combined size, color and clarity of the Lion Emerald, the miner said.
Gemfields chose the name 'Inkalamu' (meaning 'lion' in the local Bemba language) in honor of the work carried out by two of Gemfields' conservation partners, the Zambian Carnivore Programme (www.zambiancarnivores.org) and the Niassa Carnivore Project in Mozambique (www.niassalion.org). These partners work tirelessly to smooth the relationship between Africa's carnivores and local communities across vast, remote and challenging areas. The health of carnivores, being at the apex of the food chain, is widely regarded as a good indicator of the health of the wider eco-system.
Gemfields has three-year philanthropic sponsorships with each organization in order to aid them in wildlife conservation, promote community development and stem the problem of poaching by developing alternative livelihoods. In addition, Gemfields will divide 10% of Inkalamu's auction proceeds equally between the two carnivore initiatives.
The Lion Emerald will be offered for sale at Gemfields' next auction in Singapore in November to approximately 45 approved auction partners, chosen by Gemfields for their shared values in responsible practices, the firm said. In contrast to the diamond industry, the price for exceptionally large emeralds like Inkalamu is particularly difficult to predict.
"We expect a number of large, fine-quality cut emeralds to be borne of the Inkalamu crystal" said Adrian Banks, Gemfields' Managing Director for Product and Sales. "These important pieces are what return value to the buyer, and there might be hundreds of offcuts that are fashioned into smaller gems, cabochons and beads, but the key lies in recovering the fine quality pieces. Given this emerald is such a rare find, it is also perfectly conceivable that the buyer will choose to purchase it as an investment."
The miner added that the Lion Emerald will benefit from the G? 1/4 belin Gem Lab's 'Provenance Proof' nanotechnology in which nano-sized particles encoded with the mine-of-origin will allow identification of the gemstone's place of origin for decades to come.