The proceeds included the contribution of the huge “Kafubu Cluster” — weighing in at nearly 38,000 grams (pictured) — and named after the river within the area of Zambia the place it was found within the Kagem mine. It is rather uncommon for uncut emeralds to be named, with titles bestowed on solely the “rarest and most exceptional gems” in keeping with the corporate. Whereas no official naming data are stored, Gemfields stated “it’s thought that not more than two dozen gem stones have ever been given their very own title.”

It is usually extraordinarily uncommon for a gemstone to cross above the 1,000 carat line, which is a unit of weight used to evaluate treasured stone equal to 200 miligrams. The Kafubu Cluster clocks in at 187,775 carats, incomes it a reference as “our mild big” on Gemfield’s web site.

The corporate doesn’t launch full particulars on particular person lot costs, however the public sale generated a median value of virtually $77 per carat, with the Kafubu Cluster making up 44% of the whole weight on sale. That helped break public sale data as the corporate raised its highest whole in 2022 at slightly below $150 million. The earlier report, set final 12 months, was simply over $92 million.

The proceeds might be totally repatriated to Kagem in Zambia, with all royalties as a result of Authorities of the Republic of Zambia being paid on the total gross sales costs achieved on the public sale, Gemfield stated.

The Kagem mine uncovers gems by hand in what Gemfields calls a “cautious course of” which has “enabled the secure restoration of a few of the largest and most distinctive emeralds ever discovered, of which the Kafubu Cluster is a unprecedented instance.”