The 17th April 2019 will be sure to remain as a historic day in the history of blue Diamonds. A remarkable oval shaped blue diamond weighing over 20 carats has been unveiled by the Okavango Diamond Company (ODC) in Gaborone, Botswana, making it the biggest ever blue diamond discovery in Botswana.
Marcus te Haar, Managing Director of the Okavango Diamond Company said:
“From the first moment we saw the diamond, it was clear we had something very special. Everyone who has viewed the 20 carat polished diamond has marvelled at its unique colouration which many see as unlike any blue stone they have seen before. It is incredibly unusual for a stone of this colour and nature to have come from Botswana – a once-in-lifetime find, which is about as rare as a star in the Milky Way”.
“It is little surprise blue diamonds are so sought after around the world as only a very small percentage of the world’s diamonds are classified as fancy colour and, of those, only a select few can be classified as being Fancy Blue."
“At ODC we have access to 15% of Debswana's run-of-mine production and feel extremely fortunate to be involved in such a singular find."
“Only a handful of similar blue stones have come to market during the last decade, of which the Okavango Blue rightfully takes its place as one of the most significant,”
So Just how special is this discovery at Botswana's Opara mine? Well the 'Okavango Blue' an original 41.11 carat rough stone has been graded by the GIA (gemological Institute of America) as a type IIb Fancy Deep Blue, the same categorisation as the famed 'Hope Diamond'. Whilst the Hope is larger at 45.52 carats the Okavango Blue's value comes from its extreme clarity, being further graded by the GIA as “Very, Very Slightly Included,” or VVS2, meaning inclusions, internal imperfections, “are difficult for a skilled grader to see under 10x magnification.” Its unique and vibrant blue colour, is created by the molecular inclusion of the rare mineral boron which between 1-3 billion years ago was present in the rocks of ancient oceans during violent diamond forming volcanic activity.
So who are the ODC?
The Okavango Diamond Company, or ODC, is a rough diamond marketing company that is wholly owned by the Botswana Government. ODC, which was launched in 2013 quickly emerging as one of the leading, global suppliers of responsibly sourced-diamonds.
The ODC obtains its rough diamond’s directly from Debswana, whose Diamond mining operations are located across Botswana. Rough diamonds are then sold through the ODC’s online auctions to global customers. Corporate Social Responsibility is a fundamental aspect of the ODC’s business strategy.
We eagerly anticipate an expected auction in November of this year and believe that records could be broken by this simply perfect blue diamond.
Okavango Diamond Company (ODC) will be hosting diamond viewings for its registered customers at the AWDC Tender Facility from the July 1-5, 2019.
At the viewing, the goods on-site will be single stones and sales lots comprising stones greater than +9.8 carats. These goods then will be sold as part of ODC's July online auction that is planned for July 25, 2019.
Meanwhile, registration for the Antwerp viewing is not yet open. ODC registered customers will be informed about booking a viewing as the date approaches.
Viewings will be open to any ODC registered customers, with priority being given to Antwerp registered customers.
For prospective customers who have not yet completed the ODC registration process, representatives from ODC will be in Antwerp May 6-8 to meet anyone who is interested in becoming an ODC customer and to answer any questions regarding ODC's sales or registration process. The ODC team will be based at the Blue Diamond Meeting Room in the Leopold Hotel, Quinten Matsijslei 25, Antwerp 2018 from 09:00 each day.
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