From the centre of the earth, to the heart of high jewellery, Louis Vuitton reveals its latest purchase...
Louis Vuitton has become the new owner of the second largest rough diamond in the world — a rare 1,758-carat diamond, the size of a tennis ball.
Discovered last year at the Lucara Diamond Corporation's state-of-the-art Karowe mine in Botswana, the unique stone has been named the Sewelô, which means “rare find” in Setswana.
When discovered the diamond, remarkably, remained unbroken thanks to Lucara’s high-tech XRT circuit, a highly advanced recovery process that avoids crushing the diamond-bearing rock.
Partnering with the Lucara Diamond Corporation and the HB Company of Antwerp, Louis Vuitton purchased the stone for its extreme rarity which appeals to the house’s sense of adventure and creativity.
The rough crystal is covered in a thin layer of black carbon, which gives it a dark, mysterious appearance.
The stone itself is still a mystery, as the full extent of variations in colour and clarity of the diamond are yet to be to be revealed. A miracle of mother nature, the diamond is an unknown treasure with a billion-year history to discover.
Louis Vuitton plans to use the extraordinary diamond to creates bespoke, personalised custom-cut diamond jewellery for clients, which is in tune with Louis Vuitton's heritage of special, made-to-order commissions.
