Prices Strong at Alrosa Large-Stone Auctions

RAPAPORT… Alrosa sold $12.6 million worth of rough at its most recent large-stone auction
in Vladivostok, Russia, with the miner reporting healthy premiums on the opening bids at the sale.



The 108 diamonds — each over 10.8 carats — weighed a combined
2,003 carats and fetched an average price of $6,291 per carat, the miner said
last week.


Companies from Russia, mainland China, Hong Kong, the US, Israel,
Belgium, India and the United Arab Emirates participated in the auction.



“The Far East is still of strategic interest for us in terms of
expanding cooperation with China, and we traditionally invite companies from
this country to participate in our auctions,” said Evgeny Agureev, director of
Alrosa’s United Selling Organization. “The auctions in Vladivostok [were]
particularly successful this year…and [yielded] a good premium [on] the
starting price.”


The miner also plans to sell 81 rare large diamonds at an auction
in New York, including a transparent 98-carat stone with a yellowish hue, and a
rough diamond weighing more than 100 carats, both of which Alrosa recovered
from its Jubilee pipe. The auction will be the second the company has held in
New York this year.


Additionally, Alrosa launched its first True Colours auction
for large colored diamonds last week at the Hong Kong Jewelry & Gem Fair.
The 250-stone collection up for sale included an 11-carat, fancy-vivid yellow
and a cushion-cut, 11-carat, deep-purple-pink diamond. The miner plans to run
its True Colours auctions regularly.


Image: A 98-carat rough diamond presented at Alrosa’s NY auction. (Alrosa)