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MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

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Ray Dalio says the U.S. just had its 'Suez moment'—and history says what comes next could end an empire

1

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

2

Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic

3

Ray Dalio says the U.S. just had its 'Suez moment'—and history says what comes next could end an empire
diamond

This Diamond Just Set a Record as the World’s Most Expensive

By
John Kell
John Kell
Contributing Writer and author of CIO Intelligence
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By
John Kell
John Kell
Contributing Writer and author of CIO Intelligence
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May 9, 2016, 8:20 AM ET
The Lucara diamond
The Lucara diamondPhotograph by Lucian Coman — Courtesy Lucara
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An 813 caret diamond has sold for $63.1 million to a Dubai-based firm, setting a new record for the highest price ever achieved for a rough diamond.

Canada-based Lucara Diamond said it would retain a 10% interest in the net profit received from the sale of the resultant polished diamonds from the stone. It has called the diamond “The Constellation.”

The sale of The Constellation comes almost six months after it was discovered in Lucara’s Karowe mine in Botswana. The discovery of the diamond was so significant that Lucara hosted a conference call.

A day before The Constellation was found, Lucara announced it discovered an even larger, 1,109 carat diamond it is calling Lesedi La Rona. That diamond is expected to go on sale at Sotheby’s (BID) in London on June 29.

 

The Constellation’s sale was for $77,649 per carat, a strong price despite broader malaise for the rough diamond market. As Bloomberg notes, sales of the world’s largest and rarest diamonds continue to perform well despite slumping prices for diamonds in recent months. The Wall Street Journal also weighed in on the diamond market today, reporting top-quality stone prices have tumbled by as much as 80% in real, inflation-adjusted terms over the last 30 years.

 

But notably, the buzz generated by the Lesedi La Rona could prove irresistible to potential buyers, It is the world’s second-largest gem-quality diamond ever recovered. The largest diamond was found in 1905 in South Africa. Called the Cullinan, it was later cut into nine large stones and about 100 smaller ones.

About the Author
By John KellContributing Writer and author of CIO Intelligence

John Kell is a contributing writer for Fortune and author of Fortune’s CIO Intelligence newsletter.

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