Mouawad Cuts Record Yellow Diamond

RAPAPORT… Mouawad has manufactured a 54.21-carat polished yellow
stone, which, it claims, is the largest of its shape and color the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has ever graded.



The company named the round brilliant-cut, fancy-vivid-yellow
stone the Mouawad Dragon, as its color is reminiscent of a “dragon’s magical
powers and fiery eyes,” it said Monday.


The rough stone was found in an alluvial deposit in South
Africa, and took Mouawad six months to cut and polish. The jeweler, which
manufactures its rough in South Africa, New York and Bangkok, will set the
stone in a necklace that will be part of an ensemble. The entire collection
will be unveiled in March, the company told Rapaport News.



“We’re thrilled to have had the opportunity to craft this
extraordinary diamond from the rough, and we will soon continue the creative
process by designing a masterpiece that befits its dazzling beauty,” said Fred
Mouawad, co-guardian of the jeweler’s diamond division.


In August, Mouawad bought the round, 51.38-carat, D-color,
VVS1-clarity, triple-Ex Dynasty diamond from Alrosa at tender. It was the most expensive
polished stone the Russia-based miner had sold. The jeweler has renamed the Dynasty
—
originally the centerpiece of a five-stone collection that fetched
approximately $10 million combined — the Mouawad Dynasty. The stone now
weighs 51.12 carats and has flawless clarity, Mouawad said. The company will
reveal more details about its plans for the stone next month.


Image: The Mouawad Dragon in its rough and polished forms. (Mouawad)