ALROSA’s 20.7 carat Firebird diamond has been acquired by Graff Diamonds, the world-renowned high-end jewellery brand. Though the parties have not disclosed the financial details of the transaction, they aver that “it achieved one of the highest prices per carat for such a stones in recent years”.

“(The) Yellow Asscher-cut 20.69 carat diamond was graded by GIA as Fancy Vivid Yellow – VS1 – Excellent polish and symmetry,” ALROSA said, describing the gem. “Created by nature and brought to perfection by ALROSA cutting and polishing masters, the diamond resembles a simultaneous ensemble of flame, reflections of sunlight on crystal water and a trail of sparkles coming from the tail of a Firebird.”

John King, GIA Chief Quality Officer commented: “This Fancy Vivid Yellow with high clarity and very special step-cut is truly unique. And one can only imagine the wealth of rough colours that comes from that fire that sparks the diamond’s lightness. It is extremely rare and very special in the world of diamonds to see (a) unique yellow diamond like this.”

The Firebird, dedicated to the Russian ballet of the same name is part of a unique collection of diamonds dubbed by ALROSA as “The Spectacle”. The collection features two more diamonds:  the “Spirit of the Rose”, a  14.8 carat Fancy Vivid Purple-Pink stone; and other diamond, the details of which will be announced after its cutting and polishing has been completed, ALROSA said.

The Firebird diamond was created from “Stravinsky”, a 34.17 carat rough diamond, bearing both rare honey-yellow overtones and incredible clarity. The rough stone was recovered from the Ebelyakh mine in Yakutia in 2017, and is one of the largest rough diamonds of such colour and quality ever extracted in Russia. “It was defined by its naturally-occurring shape, smooth structure and, most certainly, by its incredible intensity and homogeneity of colour,” ALROSA asserted.

Sergey Ivanov, ALROSA CEO, said: “We are delighted to see that such a beautiful exceptional diamond has found an equally exceptional owner. Without a doubt, it could be a heart for a magnificent exclusive jewellery piece. It is more than just a regular deal for ALROSA. This is the first direct purchase of Graff made without intermediaries, and we hope that it will be the beginning of a new phase of our work. We are pleased to see the trust of major industry players, which, among other things, was made possible thanks to our efforts in the field of business transparency, diamond provenance guarantees and our high contribution to society.”