Fura Gems Inc., a leading coloured gemstone mining company headquartered in Dubai, UAE, announced its historic discovery of the world’s largest gem-quality ruby ever mined. Christened Estrela de Fura (Star of Fura), this breath-taking 101-carat gemstone possesses an extremely rare, vivid, red hue, fluorescence, and clarity, making it intensely sought after. Fura unveiled the gemstone at an event hosted by DMCC at the Dubai Diamond Exchange (DDE).
The Estrela de Fura places the spotlight on Mozambique as a source of premium quality rubies. Recent scientific exploration has revealed that Mozambican rubies are 475 million years older than those found in Burma, the miner said.
Dev Shetty, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Fura Gems, said, “With over two years of production, Fura has proven its ruby mine in Mozambique to be a world-class deposit. This discovery is an unprecedented occurrence and a moment of honour for us at Fura and for Mozambique.”
Dr. Daniel Nyfeler, Managing Director of Gübelin Gem Lab, said, “The Estrela de Fura ruby is likely to yield an intense, saturated red colour once fully and properly faceted with adequate proportions. Compared to most rubies, including those from Burma, which tend to be fairly included when reaching sizes above 5 carats, this ruby is relatively free of eye-visible inclusions.”
Dr. A. Peretti, Owner and Chief Executive Officer of GRS GemResearch Swisslab, said, “This ruby shows characteristics normally encountered only in the classical Mogok mines of Burma. It possesses a fluorescence and vivid red colour and even excels in its excellent clarity.”
The Estrela de Fura ruby will be showcased in Dubai for a month on appointment only and will thereafter be placed for private auction in October.
Fura Gems will allocate 2% of the sale towards setting up the Fura Training Academy to support the community where it operates in Mozambique. The key objective is to promote access to qualified education and technical training to the local population in different work streams such as mining, carpentry, engineering, and agriculture to provide them with a sustainable income.