The Awe and Wonder of Holding a Diamond as Big as a Fist

For Tom Moses, it was a peak moment in his career. “Think of something that’s as big as your closed fist — and it’s a diamond that weighs slightly more than one pound. There’s a sense of overwhelming disbelief and excitement that comes over you,” he said. Moses, the executive vice president and chief research and laboratory officer at the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), was recounting his experience July 14 and 15 at the institute’s laboratory in Gaborone, Botswana. That’s where he examined the world’s second-largest diamond — the 2,492-carat Lucara Diamond discovered in August 2024 at Botswana’s Karowe Mine, which has a track record of producing rare and large, high-quality diamonds. GIA, a nonprofit organization, has a team of more than 60 scientists, and more than 2,000 researchers and technical staff providing reports on the properties of diamonds, colored stones and pearls, so dealers, manufacturers, buyers and consumers know the quality of their stones. GIA developed the industry standards for grading diamonds — carat, cut, clarity and color — known as the four Cs, and can also determine if a diamond is natural or man-made. GIA has 10 laboratories around the world. The historic Lucara diamond discovery electrified the gem industry. The

Follow WWD on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.

from WWDRecent Stories https://ift.tt/1bBMKH7