Graff acquires two more diamonds
November 25, 2010 – Just days after the purchase of the ‘Graff Pink’, diamantaire Laurence Graff has announced the acquisition of two more important stones.
The 196 carat and 184 carat rough diamonds were successfully acquired for a total of $22,736,360 during a sealed-bid tender in Antwerp on November 24, 2010.
The diamonds, recovered from the Letšeng mine in Lesotho in the second half of 2010, mark Laurence Graff and the South African Diamond Corporation as the leading investors of significant stones sourced from the famous African mine.
The Letšeng mine, based in the Maluti Mountains in Lesotho, is a mine of growing significance, having produced three of the world’s top 20 diamonds ever discovered.
This is Graff’s fifth significant purchase of a notable Letšeng diamond in recent years and follows other notable stones such as the 603 carat ‘Lesotho Promise’, the 493 carat ‘Letšeng Legacy’ and the most recent acquisition – the 478 carat ‘Light of Letšeng’, which was then polished to reveal the Graff Constellation, the world’s first round brilliant flawless diamond to exceed 100 carats.
Laurence Graff, founder and Chairman of Graff Diamonds Holdings, said: “We are delighted with the successful acquisition of these two major stones.
“This purchase further demonstrates our continuing investment in the industry and the world’s finest diamonds. We look forward to the challenge of cutting and polishing these stones and releasing their full potential.”
The Letseng mine in Lesotho
Laurence Graff purchased a 24.78-carat pink diamond for $46 million – the most expensive stone ever sold at auction — at a Sotheby’s sale in Geneva on November 16.
