The largest Forevermark diamonds in the world will be put up for auction at Christie’s, New York on the 15th October 2008 by Steinmetz. The two stunning emerald-cut diamonds, originally formed the centrepiece of the Ponahalo - a beautiful African-inspired pendant created by internationally acclaimed South African jewellery designer, Kevin Friedman.
The two Ponahalo diamonds each took eighteen months to cut and polish and weigh in at approximately 102.11 and 70.87 carats respectively. Both diamonds are inscribed with the Forevermark icon and a unique Forevermark identification number – symbolising the Forevermark promise of quality and integrity. Chosen by Steinmetz the inscriptions are prefixed with 316 (the carat weight of the original rough diamond from which both diamonds were cut) and follow with their carat weight – so the larger diamond is 316102 and the smaller is 316070.
Francois Delage, CEO, Forevermark commented on this announcement saying, “We are delighted that Christie’s have chosen to auction the two largest Ponahalo diamonds at their prestigious Fall Jewels Sale. These are two truly precious diamonds that have been cared for at every step of their journey and offer a Forevermark promise of assurance, quality and integrity.”
Lior Levin, Global Marketing Director, Steinmetz said, “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to purchase some of the finest diamonds found in this century which have been responsibly sourced and come inscribed with the Forevermark promise”.
Forevermark is a diamond brand from the De Beers Family of Companies that is set to change the face of the diamond industry. Francois Delage, CEO Forevermark states, “For the first time we are creating a global consumer diamond brand with a promise over and above the traditional 4C’s – a promise that not only gives assurances of quality, but also assurances of integrity – every Forevermark diamond has been responsibly sourced, has directly benefited the communities from which it comes and has been nurtured at every step of its journey along the pipeline”.
Forevermark represents the art of precious diamonds, so selectivity is the Forevermark watchword. As a result, less than 1% of the world’s diamonds are eligible to be Forevermark diamonds and be inscribed with the Forevermark icon and unique identification number. Currently, only a number of handpicked master craftsmen globally, including Steinmetz, are eligible to cut and polish Forevermark diamonds to reveal their exceptional brilliance. Only retailers that meet the very highest standards are able to sell Forevermark diamonds.
A percentage of the proceeds from the sale of the Ponahalo Diamonds will be donated to the Diamond Empowerment Fund, co-created by Russell Simmons.
For more information on Forevermark please either contact:
Natasha Boreham on +44 (0) 207 404 4444 or email: natasha.boreham@forevermark.com
For more information on Steinmetz Diamonds please contact:
Inge Theron inge@starworkslondon.com
STARWORKS NEW YORK
5 Crosby Street, 4th floor, 10013
P 646 336 5920 F 646 336 5958
LONDON
443 Oxford Street, 2nd floor, W1C 2PW
P 44 20 7318 0400 F 44 20 7318 0401
Notes to Editors:
About Forevermark – The Brand
Forevermark is a diamond brand which comes from the De Beers family of companies. Forevermark diamonds are carefully selected and come from sources committed to the highest standards; are beautifully crafted by a select group of diamantaires; and are exclusively available in select jewellers.
About Forevermark – The Division
Forevermark is a separately managed division within the De Beers family of companies. The division’s main mission is to build and develop the Forevermark diamond brand. Forevermark also holds responsibility within the De Beers Family of Companies for driving diamond demand in key markets and maintaining consumer confidence in diamonds.
About Forevermark – The Inscription
Highly advanced, proprietary technology is used to inscribe the icon and unique identification number on the table facet of a Forevermark diamond. Invisible to the naked eye, the actual size of the inscription found on Forevermark diamonds is only 1/20th of a micron deep and can only be seen using a special Forevermark viewer which can be found in authorised Forevermark jewellers. The Forevermark inscription does not affect the internal quality of a diamond in any way and is confirmed by leading gemmological institutes.
About the Ponahalo
The Ponahalo rough diamond was discovered in 2005 in South Africa. The 316 carat rough was then cut into five diamonds – two larger diamonds of 102 and 70 carats which are those being auctioned at Christie’s and three smaller diamonds of 12, 5 and 4 carats. Each of the five diamonds met with the stringent criteria of Forevermark and are inscribed with a Forevermark icon and a unique identification number.
Steinmetz Diamond Group
‘Creators of the world finest diamonds’, With seven decades of expertise and heritage in the diamond industry, the company has a diversified interest in the diamond business - providing rough and polished diamonds to our customers around the world, cutting and polishing rough diamonds in Botswana, South Africa, Namibia and New York.
Steinmetz is known for its leadership in rare and exceptional diamonds as well as creation of unique high-end jewelry.
Some of the famous diamonds crafted by Steinmetz are the 203.04 carats, De Beers Millennium Star and the magnificent Steinmetz Pink – 59.60 carats, flawless fancy vivid pink diamond.
The group marketing arm has been innovative and creative through special exhibitions at the Smithsonian in Washington as well as ‘Diamonds’ at the Natural History museum in London. Steinmetz is a proud sponsor of Formula 1 team Vodafone McLaren Mercedes and holds annually the Monaco GP Flawless Engineering Weekend.
The main administrative offices are based in Geneva, Switzerland with a global presence in Antwerp, Tel Aviv, London, New York, Chicago, Dubai, Mumbai, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Gaborone and Windhoek.