Lusaka (Zambia) Oct 16 (IANS) An extremely rare high quality Zambian emerald has been sold at auction in Lusaka Zambia this week for an undisclosed amount.
The exceptional 1 220g (6 100 carat) gemstone discovered at the Kagem mine in Lufwanyama was bought by Diacolor India one of the world s leading gemstone and jewellery companies.
The emerald named Insofu -- baby elephant in the local Bemba language -- is considered "exceptional" by industry experts because of its large size clarity and colour.
"This is one of the best pieces I have seen. It has a beautiful history. The sheer size makes it a rare stone and on top of that it has beautiful quality: it has gem green; top green in lustre. It has glamour; it has a history and I am very proud of it. It is of course very high value but it is priceless for me.
"It s a museum piece for me I don t want to sell it. I would like to enjoy keeping it " said Rajkumar Tongya chairman of Diacolor a family-run business that has been operating for four generations.
Insofu was mined in 2010 at Kagem the world s single largest producing emerald mine which is owned 75 per cent by London-based Gemfields in partnership with the Zambian government.
The emerald was named by Gemfields to reflect the company s support for wildlife conservation as part of its wider commitment to ensuring responsible mining through social environmental and economic contributions to Zambia.
--IANS
ss/vm
