The world’s largest producer of green stones has unearthed a 5,655-carat emerald crystal at its mines in Zambia.
The stone, which weighs more than 1.1 kg (almost 2.5 lbs), was found at the Gemfield mines in Kagem, the company said in a statement.
The emerald is being called “Inkalamu,” which means “lion” in the local Zambia Bemba language. It will be cut into smaller pieces and auctioned in Singapore in November.
It has “remarkable clarity and a perfectly balanced golden green hue,” the statement said.
The stone was found in an open mine on October 2, by geologist Debapriya Rakshit and emerald miner Richard Kapeta.
Emeralds are rare and more valuable than diamonds, driving their demand in the market. Most of the world’s emeralds are mined in Zambia, Colombia, and Brazil.
Elena Basaglia, Gemfields’ gemologist, said there’s been increasing interest in Zambia’s emeralds, particularly from dealers in Europe.
“We are experiencing strikingly increased demand for high-quality Zambian emeralds from the major brands, particularly in Europe, all of whom admire the rich color and unique transparency of our gems — qualities that make them unique among emeralds,” Basaglia said.
The gem is not the largest emerald stone to have been found in the company’s mines. In 2010, miners at the Zambia-based operation found a 6,225-carat emerald they named the “elephant” due to its massive size.
Peru’s Keiko Fujimori jailed until bribery case trial
A judge in Peru has ordered that opposition leader Keiko Fujimori spend three years in jail while she awaits trial for corruption.
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Judge Richard Concepción said there was a high risk of Ms. Fujimori fleeing Peru.
Ms. Fujimori has been accused of taking $1.2m (£940,000) in bribes from the Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht in 2011.
She denies any wrongdoing and says the accusations are politically motivated.
Judge Concepción said there was a “serious suspicion” that Ms. Fujimori was managing a “de facto criminal organisation that is entrenched within” her Popular Force political party.
Earlier this year, former President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski resigned in a scandal linked to the Odebrecht case.
Ms. Fujimori, who was in court, was taken into custody by police after the judge’s ruling.
Her lawyer is expected to appeal against the verdict, AFP reported.
The 43-year-old had already spent a week in police custody earlier this month but had been released on appeal.
She lost presidential election runoffs in 2016 and 2011 despite her Popular Force party winning the most votes.
The party currently controls Peru’s Congress.
But in the last year there have been huge street protests against the political establishment.
Ms. Fujimori’s father, 80-year-old former President Alberto Fujimori, is serving a 25-year prison sentence for human rights abuses.
