SINGAPORE – The world's second largest rough diamond has found its way to Singapore's shores.
Roughly the size of a tennis ball, the 1,758-carat diamond that was purchased by Louis Vuitton and unveiled in January is now being showcased to interested buyers until Tuesday.
Named Sewelo, which means "rare find" in the Setswana language, it was discovered in April last year at a mine in Botswana owned by Canadian diamond mining company Lucara Diamond Corporation.
The glinting black stone is the second largest rough gem diamond in recorded history, second only to the Cullinan – a 3,106-carat gem mined in South Africa in 1905.
That makes the Sewelo, estimated to be two billion years old, the largest diamond discovered in this century.
Louis Vuitton's purchase of this historic find has been dubbed by many as a bold move for the luxury house, which is better known for its handbags and heritage trunks.
The LVMH-owned brand entered high jewellery only in 2012, with an atelier in the esteemed Place Vendome in Paris.
It is not known exactly how many millions the French fashion house paid for the stone.
Asked why the Sewelo would be the stone to propel Vuitton's high jewellery efforts, chairman and chief executive of Louis Vuitton Michael Burke said in an e-mail interview: "This rough stone is unique. Unveiling it to a handful of clients is a testament to our daring spirit and our desire to be a major player in jewellery."
He added: "We're positioning ourselves for the next 100 years."
Available for viewing by appointment only, its stop in Singapore at the Louis Vuitton Island Maison at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands is its only one in South-east Asia.
Inside the store, the Sewelo takes centre stage, mounted on a miniature trunk in a dark exhibit. No barricades have been set up around it, allowing clients to get up close and personal with the stone.
Showcasing the diamond in its rawest form – its thin black carbon coating untouched – was significant, said Mr Burke.
"The idea is not to bypass the traditional network (of jewellery), but to make the chain more transparent by showing Sewelo's origin."
While the house declined to comment on its exact plans for the rare stone, it is expected to be custom-cut into diamonds and turned into bespoke pieces once Vuitton finds a buyer.
Unique to the brand is its ability to cut diamonds in the signet of Louis Vuitton's iconic Monogram – the LV Flower Cut, a rounded flower; and the LV Star Cut, a star-shaped motif.
Louis Vuitton is currently working closely with Antwerp-based diamond cutters HB Company to study and plan the optimal yield of the stone – which is estimated to vary from one oval diamond of 900 carats to one dRead More – Source
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