Jwaneng's Perfect Diamond Wows The World

MONKAGEDI GAOTLHOBOGWE
Staff Writer | Monday March 18, 2013 00:00

 

The Jwaneng diamond, estimated to fetch P400 million ($25 million), goes on sale for the first time at Geneva, Switzerland's Auction House, Christie's on May 15.

Before going on sale in Geneva, the new diamond will go on tour to New York and Hong Kong in April, Christie's said. Now weighing 101 carats after being cut, shaped and polished, the Jwaneng diamond wows the world with its best clarity grade, 'flawless', and absolute symmetry.

According to the Auction House, the buyer of the diamond will have the honour to give it a name. A jubilated Bunyongo, now a COO at Debswana head office says it makes him a proud Motswana national that a Botswana diamond is today making headlines in the international media.

Strangely Bonyongo says when they discovered the diamond back in 2007 they never celebrated. 'In 2007 when we mined it, it was not so shinny, it was still rough, uncut, unpolished, now it is the best grade; as a Motswana and an employee of Debswana, it gives me great pride; I'm very proud as a national of Botswana',  Bunyongo went on. 'It is very nice, what a product to watch, a true dream of mining and seeing something like this displayed on the international scene', raved the former Jwaneng mine manager.