If You Had the World's Biggest Uncut Diamond...

Would you chop it up?

The "Lesedi la rona" is currently the world's largest diamond at 1,109 karats. There has only been one larger, and it was cut into smaller stones that became the centerpieces of the Crown Jewels of England.

Quote: Ayecarumba

Would you chop it up?

Hmm
Are their risks to chopping it up?
Isn't it a combination of science and art?
What is the value prior to chopping?
What is maximum value on a fantastic chop job as opposed to a bad unlucky chop job

Can you get more good looking stones by cutting it? One big stone has risks if not cut right, might lose a lot of useful diamond keeping it whole vs several smaller ones.

But diamonds are a chick thing. I have no use.

Quote: terapined

What is the value prior to chopping?

Less.

Diamonds are priced by quality. Right now that thing isn't worth the floor of $3,000 per carat for a white diamond (colored diamonds are priced lower).

If you polished it whole, the value per carat increases. How much depends on the quality of the stone, the clarity, and the quality of the polishing job. It can go to, say $15-20,000 per carat. That leaves you with a very small market.

So you cut it.

You try to get a large piece for publicity purposes, that should be priced higher than it's worth, and would perhaps help sell the smaller pieces at a higher price point.

And a few years from now when clear and perfect grown diamonds come down in price.... :)

Quote: AZDuffman

Can you get more good looking stones by cutting it? One big stone has risks if not cut right, might lose a lot of useful diamond keeping it whole vs several smaller ones.

But diamonds are a chick thing. I have no use.

Not on the end of the drill bits used for getting oil out the ground? :D

Quote: TheCesspit

Not on the end of the drill bits used for getting oil out the ground? :D

You never saw the sign behind my desk.......

"Roughnecks don't order sand,
until they hear from Land!"

Apparently, the value at auction is north of $60 million USD, as that was the highest bid at an open auction, but it didn't hit the reserve.

The largest diamond ever pulled out of the ground was nearly three times the size of this one, and was chopped up to produce 9 large stones and a bunch of smaller ones. They include the two most beautiful diamonds I have ever seen. Both are in the Crown Jewels of the U.K.:

Cullinan I (a.k.a. "The Star of Africa". 530 carats) It looks like it's almost the size of a baseball.



and Cullinan III (94.4 carats, the pear shaped stone that appears here being worn as a brooch with Cullinan IV):



I saw them on display at the Tower of London. If you ever get a chance to see them, I highly recommend it. It is unreal (and perhaps they actually are unreal, having been swapped for crystals for security purposes.)

I saw the Hope diamond in the Smithsonian years ago. Only famous diamond I really knew of, for a long time.

Quote: AZDuffman

But diamonds are a chick thing. I have no use.

If you have any of those useless rocks, let me know. I'll take them off your hands. I'm not too proud. Also real pearls, gold necklaces, bangles. I'm not picky.

Quote: rxwine

I saw the Hope diamond in the Smithsonian years ago. Only famous diamond I really knew of, for a long time.

It has also been decades since I have been the display at the Smithsonian. I recall that the thick "bulletproof" case seemed to take a lot of the sparkle out of it. Still pretty cool considering the history and colorful demise of those associated with its "curse".

I am not that partial to colored diamonds. I see some jewelry manufacturer marketing "chocolate" diamonds, and it makes me mad because these stones are common and not very attractive, but they are duping folks into paying chateaubriand prices for flap meat with their marketing.