The world’s most expensive rough diamond, which was bought by de Grisogono for $63 million with the goal of turning it into a stone worthy of the crown jewels, was put on show in Dubai yesterday.

Called The Constellation, the rough stone weighs 813 carats and is over 6 cm wide. 

It was discovered by Canada’s Lucara Diamond at its mine in Botswana in November 2015 and purchased for $63 million by Dubai-based Nemesis International on behalf of the Swiss luxury jewellery and watch brand earlier this year at a Sotheby’s auction.

The Constellation was unveiled on the sidelines of the Kimberley Process (KP) plenary meeting, which is being held in the UAE city.

Founded in 2000, KP is an organisation that represents diamond-producing countries, the mining industry and NGOs. 

The giant diamond was unveiled in the presence of Ahmed Bin Sulayem, the Executive Chairman of the Dubai Multi Commodities Center (DMCC) and KP Chair, together with Nemesis International Director Nickolas Polak, de Grisogono founder Fawaz Gruosi and Lucara Diamond Director of Sales of Steven Lincoln.

Lucara has partnered with Nemesis International, which is based at the DMCC. 

Bin Sulayem said: “We are delighted to have been part of facilitating the acquisition of The Constellation, an incredible diamond, with de Grisogono. This  transaction  further  highlights DMCC’s and Dubai’s prominent role as a global centrepoint  for  diamond  trading,  as  we  continue  to  connect all industry participants including producing and consuming countries along the Silk Road.”

The Constellation’s outstanding size and clarity allows de Grisogono an exclusive opportunity in its cutting and polishing process providing the brand with the unique option to bring a jeweler’s perspective into the cutting process. This is contrasted to the more traditional process where jewellers were restricted to acquiring polished stones that already existed in the market. 

It is expected that the cutting process, due to be completed by the middle of 2017, may unveil one of the world’s largest certified flawless diamond.

Gruosi said: “I am thrilled to have the chance to work with such an incredible and important diamond as The Constellation. As a jeweller I am conscious of the extraordinary responsibility I have to the stone and to the team who have worked so hard to secure it. To be able to bring my creative skills to the cutting and setting process of such a stone is both an honour and a privilege and I cannot wait to realise my vision for it.” 

The Constellation represents the second major acquisition by de Grisogono this year after the purchase in May of a 404-carat rough diamond, also from Nemesis International.