Colombian Army Releases Video of Treasure Strewn From San José Shipwreck

The Colombian army just released fascinating underwater footage of treasure strewn from the wreckage of the San José galleon — a warship sunk by the British Royal Navy in 1708.

Considered to be one of the richest treasure ships ever lost in the Western Hemisphere, the Spanish flagship had been carrying more than 200 tons of valuables, including high-purity gold doubloons, silver coins and chests filled with emeralds. The bounty is estimated to be worth up to $17 billion.

The San José languished on the ocean floor at a depth of nearly 1 kilometer (3,280 feet) for more than 300 years. The Colombian navy formally announced the ship's discovery in 2015 near the port of Cartagena on Colombia's coast. Its exact location is considered a state secret.

For many years, a number of entities have claimed ownership of the treasure, including Colombia, Spain, the Qhara Qhara nation of indigenous Bolivians and a professional salvage company.

According to the BBC, Spain had claimed the San José as a "ship of state" as it was under the country's control when it was sunk. The indigenous Bolivians claimed the ill-gotten Spanish treasure was extracted from the wealth its people. The salvage company, Sea Search Armada, claimed to have found the San José wreckage in the early 1980s.

Built in 1699, the 127-foot-long, three-masted galleon had been escorting 11 merchant ships when it was attacked by a British fleet and exploded during the battle. Of the 600 people aboard, only 11 survived.

The video of the shipwreck taken by a submersible vehicle was shared by Colombian Minister of Defense Diego Molano Aponte. In the video, we can clearly see valuable items, such as gold coins, pottery and Chinese porcelain teacups, scattered across the ocean floor near the wreckage.

Colombian President Ivan Duque praised his country's navy for capturing "images with a level of precision that's never been seen before" and has vowed that the treasure from the wreck would remain in Colombia.

It's expected that valuables from the wreck will be exhibited in a museum to be built in Cartagena.

In an unexpected twist, while studying the site of the San José, the Colombian navy's submersible vehicle also spotted two new shipwrecks — one of a colonial boat and another of a schooner that dates back to Colombia's war for independence from Spain in 1819. Colombian officials have yet to offer details about what either ship might have been transporting.

Credits: Screen grabs via Twitter.com / Diego_Molano.

It’s Best to Wear Your Precious Jewelry Through Airport Security, Says TSA

With summer vacations right around the corner, we have fresh information and expert advice on the best way to take your precious jewelry possessions through airport security.

In most cases, it’s perfectly OK to wear your fine jewelry through the checkpoint station instead of removing it, according to the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Your fine jewelry should NEVER be packed into your checked luggage.

As long as the jewelry is not really bulky, you should keep your jewelry on your body as you walk through metal detectors or imaging devices.

Chances are the jewelry won’t alarm, and if it does you can let an officer inspect it with you there.

If you are traveling with very valuable items, you can ask the TSA officer to screen you and your jewelry in private to maintain your security.

"In general, jewelry doesn’t need to be removed before going through security," wrote the TSA on its Twitter page called @AskTSA. "However, we recommend putting on heavy jewelry after you go through security, to reduce the likelihood of an alarm that results in a pat-down screening."

In that case, the heavy jewelry should be placed in a carry-on bag and then put on after the screening process.

Additional items should be stored in the carry-on bag because it stays with you throughout your air travel journey. It's additionally useful to keep your jewelry untangled and organized in a travel jewelry case. These handy travel companions usually have a zipped enclosure with dedicated space for earrings, necklaces, rings and bracelets.

Avoid putting fine jewelry in the plastic bowls that typically hold smaller items, such as pocket change and money clips. Bowls can easily flip over on the conveyor belt.

IMPORTANT: Under no circumstances should you pack your fine jewelry in checked luggage. Here’s real-life example of how doing so can turn out very, very badly…

Back in 2006, the Duchess of Argyll was returning to Glasgow, Scotland, after a short stay in London. The 68-year-old dowager duchess had checked a bag containing more than $150,000 worth of jewelry, including a Victorian diamond tiara, Cartier brooch, emerald ring and pearl earrings.

Yes, the bag was lost.

The Duchess filed a complaint with the airport and police authorities, but the bag was never turned in… or at least that’s what the Duchess believed.

In fact, the bag did resurface, but the airport authorities auctioned the jewelry instead of making any effort to return the items to their rightful owner. A British diamond merchant claimed the lot for a mere $7,500 (exactly 5% of their value) and the proceeds were donated by the airport to charity.

In 2012, the Duchess spotted her Cartier brooch in a Scottish auction catalog and promptly hired a lawyer to investigate. Airport authorities were embarrassed by a lost-luggage saga with high-profile implications.

After offering to reimburse the diamond merchant for his cooperation, operators of Glasgow Airport successfully reunited the Duchess with her brooch and tiara. Sadly, she would never see her emerald ring or pearl earrings again. A hard lesson learned.

Credit: Image by Bigstockphoto.com.

World's Most Celebrated Natural Pearl Almost Ended Up in the Belly of a Beast

In 1513, an African slave discovered a perfectly symmetrical, pear-shaped, 55.95-carat natural pearl in the waters off the coast of Panama, and for the next 500+ years the treasure would wind its way through the royal boudoirs of Spain, England, France and Austria, earning it the Spanish name "La Peregrina," or "The Pilgrim."

Today, La Peregrina is arguably the most celebrated natural pearl of all time and one of the finest examples of June's official birthstone.

Throughout its history, the pearl has been cherished and protected, albeit with a few exceptions. Legend has it that the pearl was once lost and then found between the cushions of a sofa at Windsor Castle. In a second instance, the pearl disappeared during a wedding reception at Buckingham Palace, only to be spotted a little later hitching a ride on the bride's train.

But La Peregrina was nearly lost forever under the stewardship of actress Elizabeth Taylor.

In 1969, Richard Burton spent $37,000 (outbidding a prince at Sotheby’s) to buy La Peregrina for his wife, Taylor, as a gift for Valentine’s Day. In a Caesars Palace suite, Taylor had been wearing the famous pearl on a delicate pearl-and-diamond chain, but then realized it was gone.

In her book, My Love Affair with Jewelry, Taylor shared a moment-by-moment account of what happened next.

"I glanced over at Richard and thank God he wasn't looking at me, and I went into the bedroom and threw myself on the bed, buried my head into the pillow and screamed," Taylor recalled. "Very slowly and very carefully, I retraced all my steps in the bedroom. I took my slippers off, took my socks off, and got down on my hands and knees, looking everywhere for the pearl. Nothing. I thought, 'It's got to be in the living room in front of Richard. What am I going to do. He'll kill me!' Because he loved the piece."

Then Taylor noticed one of her puppies munching on something.

"I just casually opened the puppy's mouth and inside his mouth was the most perfect pearl in the world," she wrote. "It was — thank God— not scratched."

Shortly thereafter, Taylor commissioned Cartier to reset La Peregrina with pearls, diamonds and rubies in a majestic necklace that was to resemble the jewelry worn by Mary, Queen of Scots, in a famous portrait. The pearl’s original setting can be seen in Taylor’s cameo in Anne of the Thousand Days (1969). The new, more exquisite, setting makes brief cameos in the films Divorce His — Divorce Hers (1973) and A Little Night Music (1977).

In 2005, La Peregrina was one of 12 rare pearls featured during a six-month exhibition called “The Allure of Pearls” at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC.

Taylor passed away in March of 2011 at the age of 79. Later that same year, La Peregrina headlined a high-profile auction of Taylor's jewelry at Christie's New York, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the The Elizabeth Taylor Aids Foundation.

Christie's had set the pre-sale estimate for La Peregrina at $2 million to $3 million, but enthusiastic bidding for the historic piece drove the final price to $11.8 million.

Natural pearls, such as La Peregrina, are exceedingly rare because they are created by mollusks randomly, without human intervention. When a grain of sand or similar irritant gets between the mollusk’s shell and its mantle tissue, the process begins.

To protect itself, the mollusk instinctually secretes multiple layers of nacre, an iridescent material that eventually becomes a pearl. Cultured pearls, by contrast, are created when a bead is embedded inside the body of the mollusk to stimulate nacre secretion.

Credits: Images courtesy of Christies.

This Cabochon-Cut Black Diamond Masquerades as a Tahitian Pearl

The Smithsonian's National Gem Collection in Washington, DC, features an unusual cabochon-cut black diamond that masquerades as a Tahitian pearl.

Named the "Winston Adamantine Pearl," the 44-carat domed diamond presents the lustrous beauty of a pearl while maintaining the unique properties of a diamond.

The adjective "adamantine" is derived from "adamas," the Ancient Greek word for diamond. An item that mimics the hardness or scintillating nature of a diamond may be described as adamantine.

Cut from a rough diamond that was approximately 150 carats in size, the Winston Adamantine Pearl is bezel set in a platinum pendant that resembles a spiderweb. Fifty-two baguette and round brilliant-cut diamonds adorn the interlocking web and outer rim of the pendant.

While it's common to find opal, turquoise, onyx, moonstone and star sapphires cut with a highly polished rounded top, diamonds are almost exclusively faceted to show off that particular gem's unmatched refractive properties.

Black diamonds owe their color to numerous dark inclusions, such as graphite, pyrite or hematite, that extend throughout the stone, according to the Gemological Institute of America. Their opaqueness is caused by a “polycrystalline” structure that inhibits the reflection of light.

This is likely why the luxury jeweler Harry Winston decided to go with the cabochon cut.

Harry Winston donated the pendant to the Smithsonian in 1997 during the dedication of the Harry Winston Gallery, one of eight exhibit areas in the then-renovated Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems and Minerals at the National Museum of Natural History.

While the Winston Adamantine Pearl and a Tahitian pearl may look very similar, their hardnesses vary widely, with the diamond rating a perfect 10 on the Mohs scale and the pearl occupying the lower end of the spectrum with a Mohs rating of 2.5 – 4.5.

Known for their large sizes (8mm to 18mm) and rich iridescent colors that can include black, grey and brown with overtones of blue, green, purple or pink, the highly coveted Tahitian cultured pearls are cultivated in the waters of French Polynesia.

Pearl is the official gemstone for the month of June, while diamond is the official gemstone for the month of April.

Credit: Photo by Ken Larsen / Smithsonian.

Music Friday: Keith Richards Reveals, 'I Just Love Singing About Precious Metal'

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you awesome throwback songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, Rolling Stones' guitarist and Rock and Roll icon Keith Richards explains the story behind the 1969 release, "You Got the Silver."

The song's memorable chorus goes like this: "You got my heart you got my soul / You got the silver you got the gold / You got the diamonds from the mine / Well that's all right, it'll buy some time."

In his YouTube series, "Ask Keith," Richards clarified that the lyrics were not intended to make a specific point.

"There's very little coherence in what I do, because I don't think that's the point," he said. "I always try to capture feelings rather than explain things to make a point about anything. You're usually wrong if you try to do that. At least I am."

Then, the 78-year-old smiled and revealed the real inspiration behind the lyrics.

"I just love singing about precious metal," he chuckled. "I don't mean heavy metal, I mean precious."

Originally released in 1969 as the second track on Side 2 of the group's classic Let It Bleed album, "You Got the Silver" languished as a rarely heard song until it was added to The Stones' set list in 1999. This exposed a whole new generation of fans to the song and Richards was reportedly surprised by how well the tune resonated with the live audiences.

Composed by Richards with an assist from Mick Jagger, "You Got the Silver" was the first Rolling Stones tune to feature Richards as the lead vocalist. The songwriting partnership of Richards and Jagger — which dates back to the time they were teenagers in 1962 — has been one of the most successful and prolific in history.

Let It Bleed was such a landmark achievement that the album was inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2005. It also made Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time." The Rolling Stones were formed in London 60 years ago and are still active today. With estimated record sales of 200 million, The Stones are considered one of the best-selling musical acts of all time.

Please check out the video of Richards performing "You Got the Silver." The lyrics are below if you'd like to sing along…

"You Got The Silver"
Written by Keith Richards and Michael Phillip Jagger. Performed by The Rolling Stones, featuring Keith Richards (vocals) and Ronnie Wood (guitar).

Hey babe, what's in your eyes?
I saw them flashing like airplane lights
You fill my cup, babe, that's for sure
I must come back for a little more

You got my heart you got my soul
You got the silver you got the gold
You got the diamonds from the mine
Well that's all right, it'll buy some time

Tell me, honey, what will I do
When I'm hungry and thirsty too
Feeling foolish (and that's for sure)
Just waiting here at your kitchen door?

Hey baby, what's in your eyes?
Is that the diamonds from the mine?
What's that laughing in your smile?
I don't care, no, I don't care

Oh babe, you got my soul
You got the silver you got the gold
If that's your love, just leave me blind
I don't care, no, that's no big surprise

Credit: Photo by Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Two 100+ Carat Pear-Shaped Diamonds Share Top Billing at Sotheby's NY Auction

Two pear-shaped diamonds larger than 100 carats — one D-flawless and the other fancy deep orange-brown — will headline Sotheby's Magnificent Jewels auction in New York on June 16.

Named "Juno" to honor the ancient Roman queen of the gods, the 101.41-carat, D-color, internally flawless rarity is expected to fetch more than $10 million. Sotheby's noted that the appearance of a 100-carat perfect diamond at auction is a noteworthy event. Only 11 such stones have sold at auction since 1990, and Sotheby’s has had a hand in seven of those sales.

The Gemological Institute of America noted that Juno is a Type IIa diamond, which means that it is colorless and chemically pure with no traces of nitrogen or boron impurities.

The pear-shaped gem measures 38.49 x 27.18 x 17.55mm, about the diameter of a ping pong ball at its widest point.

"Earth Star" boasts a rich history that dates back to the presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson. The 111.59-carat, fancy deep orange-brown diamond was crafted from a 248.90-carat rough discovered at the Jagersfontein mine in South Africa in 1967.

The rough stone had emerged from a depth of 2,500 feet, which was exceptionally deep for a gem of this size, according to Sotheby's. The find was also notable because the mine previously had not been known to produce brown diamonds or diamonds of such a large size.

The stone was later sent to Baumgold Brothers in New York, which fashioned it into the pear shape we see today. The cutters at Baumgold Brothers called the finished diamond Earth Star due to its high level of brilliance.

In 1971, the diamond returned to South Africa for an exhibition commemorating the 100th anniversary of the discovery of the Kimberley mine. And then, in 1983, the Earth Star was sold at auction for nearly $1 million. The diamond has been in private hands ever since.

Earth Star has the distinction of being one of the 80 gems reviewed in the authoritative book by Lord Ian Balfour called Famous Diamonds.

David Webb designed a custom mounting for the orange-brown gem using azurmalachite to resemble the Earth as seen from the perspective of a star. The Earth Star diamond is being offered without reserve and Sotheby's published a pre-sale estimate of $1.5 million to $2.5 million.

Credits: Photos courtesy of Sotheby’s.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers' Grey Cup Rings Tell Story of Back-to-Back Championships

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers received their 2021 Grey Cup Championship Rings Saturday night during a soiree held at the exclusive Pinnacle Club at IG Field. The two-tone rings tell the story of the club's back-to-back championships, as well as its stunning 33-25 overtime triumph against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the title game this past December.

Designed in 10-karat gold by Canadian jeweler Baron Championship Rings, the face of the dazzling keepsakes feature the club's iconic "W" logo outlined in blue enamel sitting atop the diamond-studded Grey Cup and surrounded by a contrasting 10K yellow gold halo with raised lettering spelling out the phrase "Grey Cup Champions."

The bottom section of the Grey Cup includes 33 diamonds to represent the number of points scored by the Blue Bombers in their overtime win. Above the Grey Cup, on the shoulder of the ring, is the number "108" to signify the 108th Grey Cup. The word "Winnipeg," a nod to the team's host city, anchors the shoulder on the opposite side.

The outer edge of the ring is lined with 12 round sapphires, representing the organization's total championship wins. There are six on one side and six on the other, all set in yellow gold and separated by the phrases "Blue Bombers" and "Back-to-Back."

One side of the ring displays the player's name, position and jersey number rendered in diamonds over a gridiron background.

The opposite side includes a unique and detailed etching of a real photo of fans taken during the championship season. The fans — famous for being the CFL's loudest — are framed by the IG Field arches and the year 2021.

The team's season record is etched on the outer shank of the ring, while the inner shank is engraved with a personalized message unique to each player.

Also on the inside of the ring is the final score of the 108th Grey Cup along with the initials "FIFO" and the team's slogan, "For The W."

"FIFO" was written on a sign above the doors in the Blue Bombers’ locker room. When spelled out, the acronym summed up the organization’s philosophy when it came to assembling the right group of football players to deliver a championship. A family-friendly translation of the off-color phrase would be "fit in or find your way out."

Assisting in the design process was a committee that included linebacker Adam Bighill, receiver Nic Demski, defensive end Willie Jefferson and Rhéanne Marcoux, the Blue Bombers' Director of Creative & Content.

Credits: Images courtesy of Baron Championship Rings.

Pure Gold Coin Is the Size of a Small Pizza and Weighs More Than Your 3-Year-Old

The Royal Mint has just produced the largest coin in its 1,100-year history to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II's historic 70-year reign.

About the size of a small pizza, the one-of-a-kind Platinum Jubilee coin is made of .999 gold and weighs an astonishing 15 kilograms (33.1 pounds). The coin carries a denomination of £15,000, but the value of the precious metal alone is £776,595 ( $982,000).

Instead of being struck between two dies like a standard coin, this 220-millimeter-wide collectible was cut into a solid gold ingot by a high-speed precision milling machine before the processes of burnishing, polishing and frosting were carried out by hand to highlight key design elements. The process took nearly 400 hours of refinement using state-of-the-art engraving and laser technology.

A private UK collector commissioned the coin, which features a bespoke commemorative design that had been personally approved by The Queen, according to The Royal Mint.

“As the largest UK coin to date, the scale and diameter of the piece has allowed us to push the boundaries of minting to produce an exceptional level of relief and detail," said Paul Morgan, Technical Manager at The Royal Mint. "It is a true testament to the expertise and skills of our in-house design and production teams, and their ability to collaborate with the finest artists. The combination of traditional craftsmanship and modern technology has produced a truly one-of-a-kind piece of art.”

The private collector has been a long-standing customer of The Royal Mint and an enthusiastic investor in coins marking moments throughout The Queen’s reign.

"The latest and greatest in my collection is the Platinum Jubilee coin, designed by John Bergdahl and brought to life in 15 kilograms of solid gold," the collector said in a statement. "The beautiful design stands apart as a fitting tribute to Her Majesty’s service to our nation and the craftsmanship is simply breathtaking, ensuring a once-in-a-lifetime moment will live on in history on a UK coin.”

The reverse side depicts a crowned EIIR cypher surrounded by roses, daffodils, thistles and shamrocks, representing the United Kingdom. It also includes a symbolic privy mark of the St. Edward’s Crown worn during Elizabeth's coronation in 1953, positioned above the number "70," in recognition of Her Majesty’s momentous celebration.

On the obverse side of the coin, a special commemorative design depicting The Queen on horseback is engraved on the precious metal.

The Royal Mint has told the story of The Queen’s reign on UK coins since her accession to the throne in 1952, including five definitive portraits of Her Majesty.

Credit: Image courtesy of The Royal Mint.

Music Friday: Justin Bieber Sings, 'If You Got a Diamond for All of Your Passion'

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you awesome songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, a reflective Justin Bieber sings about seizing the moment and pursuing one's dreams in his uplifting treatise, “All In It.”

Co-written by Bieber, Jason Boyd, Mark Jackson, Mason Levy and Josh Gudwin, the 2015 tune reminds us that we all have potential to do great things — if we are willing to put in the extra effort.

Bieber sings, “If you got a diamond for all of your passion / Diamond for your dedication / You could be icy like cake / Icy for every occasion / Gotta go hard, yeah / Still don't condone it / Love is a component / You’re the only opponent / Gotta seize the moment.”

“All In It” is featured as a bonus track on Bieber’s fourth studio album, Purpose. The album, which spawned three U.S Billboard Hot 100 chart toppers, was a tremendous commercial and critical success. MTV called the album “lyrically revealing and sonically appealing.” Fans agreed, as the album made its debut at #1 on the U.S. Billboard 200, selling 649,000 copies in its first week of release.

For Bieber, the year leading up to the album's release was a time of soul-searching after a tumultuous period of broken relationships and eyebrow-raising behavior. Throughout the 18 compelling tracks of Purpose, Bieber admits his mistakes and challenges himself to be a better man.

Born in London, Ontario, Canada, in 1994, Justin Drew Bieber loved to perform as a kid. In early 2007, he placed second in a local singing competition. Bieber’s mom, Pattie, posted a video of his performance on YouTube, and then added videos of her 12-year-old son singing covers of various R&B songs. It’s been reported that music executive Scooter Braun accidentally clicked on one of Bieber’s videos — thinking he was watching a 20-year-old doing a cover of Aretha Franklin’s “Respect.” The impressive performer was, in fact, the pre-teen Bieber.

Braun tracked down the youngster in Canada, and with the permission of Bieber’s mom, introduced him to singer-songwriter Usher, who soon became his mentor. Bieber was then signed by record executive L.A. Reid and the rest is history.

Now 28 years old, Bieber has sold an estimated 150 million records, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He’s earned two Grammy Awards, 18 American Music Awards, 26 Billboard Music Awards, 23 Teen Choice Awards and a record 21 MTV Europe Music Awards.

We hope you enjoy the audio track of “All In It.” The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…

“All In It”
Written by Justin Bieber, Jason Boyd, Mark Jackson, Mason Levy and Josh Gudwin. Performed by Justin Bieber.

Don’t do nothin’ ‘less your heart’s in it
Heart’s in it, heart’s in it
Don’t do nothin’ ‘less you’re all in it
All in it, all in it

If you got a 20 for all of your tries
Twenty for all of the times
The times you got back up, woah
Could be a billionaire in a year
That’s how you gotta think ’til you’re there
On the regular

If you got a diamond for all of your passion
Diamond for your dedication
You could be icy like cake
Icy for every occasion
Gotta go hard, yeah
Still don't condone it
Love is a component
You’re the only opponent
Gotta seize the moment

And don’t do nothin’ ‘less your heart’s in it
Heart’s in it, heart’s in it
Don’t do nothin’ ‘less you’re all in it
All in it, all in it
Come again each time
‘Til the water runs dry
Oh don’t do nothin’ ‘less you’re all in it
All in it, all in it

Oh, oh
Oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
All in it, all in it

If I had a guitar missing five strings
A guitar with only one string
I could only play one song, ooh
A simple melody
Simple enough to make the world sing
Strong enough to make your mood swing
You know what I mean

If you got a diamond for all of your passion
Diamond for your dedication
You could be icy like cake
Icy for every occasion
Gotta go hard, yeah
Still don't condone it
Love is a component
You’re the only opponent
Gotta seize the moment

And don’t do nothin’ ‘less your heart’s in it
Heart’s in it, heart’s in it
Don’t do nothin’ ‘less you’re all in it
All in it, all in it
Come again each time
‘Til the water runs dry
Don’t do nothin’ ‘less you’re all in it
All in it, all in it

Oh, oh
Oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh

All in it, all in it

See, growing up, I
I always felt like I had to be the best at everything
Cause I, I just didn’t think I was good enough
And, and maybe if I was good at something that I’d get recognition from that but
I quickly found out that I wasn’t gonna get the recognition that I wanted or that I needed because
Because people aren’t perfect and by not being perfect you sometimes can disappoint people
And with God it’s like he’s perfect
And he never disappoints
So I just get my recognition from him
And give him recognition

Credit: Image by Joe Bielawa, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Tiny Kingdom, Big Results: Lesotho Produces Another 200+ Carat Diamond

Of the largest 50 rough diamonds ever discovered, seven have come from Lesotho, a tiny, landlocked kingdom at the southern tip of Africa. Despite its diminutive size (Maryland is larger), Lesotho produces a remarkable number of large, Type II, top-quality stones. (Type II diamonds are extremely rare, colorless and chemically pure with no traces of nitrogen impurities.) The kingdom's diamond mines generate more dollars-per-carat than any other diamond-producing country.

Last week, Lucapa Diamond Company unveiled a 204-carat white diamond from its Mothae mine in Lesotho. It is the eighth diamond of 100+ carats and third of 200+ carats to be recovered from the sky-high mine since commercial production began in January 2019.

The Mothae kimberlite mine is situated at an altitude of 2,900 meters (1.8 miles) above sea level in the Maluti Mountains. Lucapa has a 70% stake in the mine, with the remainder owned by the Government of the Kingdom of Lesotho.

Lesotho is also home to the prolific Letšeng Diamond Mine, which is co-owned by Gem Diamonds, Ltd., and the government of Lesotho.

The country's biggest diamond finds to date include the Lesotho Legend (910 carats), Lesotho Promise (603 carats), Lesotho Brown (601 carats), Letšeng Star (550 carats), Lesotho Legacy (493 carats), Light of Letšeng (478 carats) and the Letšeng Icon (439-carats).

The Australia-based Lucapa Diamond Company also operates the high-value Lulo mine in Angola. Lulo is best known for producing a 404-carat oblong rough diamond that was eventually cut by de Grisogono into a D-flawless, 163-carat emerald-cut stunner that became the centerpiece of an emerald and diamond necklace. That piece fetched $33.7 million at Christie’s Geneva in November of 2017.

According to diamonds.net, Lucapa will sell the 204-carat stone to the Graff-owned subsidiary, Safdico, which is contracted to buy all Mothae rough for a 2 1/2-year period. The agreement also allows Safdico to purchase up to 60% of the output of Lucapa’s Lulo mine.

Credit: Photo courtesy of Lucapa Diamond Company.