If history always sheds light on the moment when these treasures of nature are extracted, there is a much more perilous stage of which we know little, or almost: the cutting of the rough stone.
The days of 1905 when the experts of the Royal Asscher Diamond Company saw their blade break on the ultra-resistant sides of the legendary Cullinan (3106 carats) seem a long way off.
And yet, the style exercise remains no less delicate today, despite technological progress.
At the risk of misusing the rough or coming up against a natural inclusion that will damage the cut or give rise to a poor quality stone.
Diamonds 2.0
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Analysis of the 269 carat rough diamond and its capabilities.
Graff / Photo press
On his Instagram account, Graff has lifted the veil behind the scenes of this fateful stage in recent days.
So how do you go from a 269 carat gross to a duo of D Flawless diamond earrings of 50.23 carats each?
It's always a story of audit, then of choice.
Once mapped using a so-called Sarin machine, software scans the possibilities of the gem to guide the cutter with a 3-dimensional projection up to the cleavage stage, where the latter will separate the gross in several batches.
By Graff's own admission, this rough diamond from Botswana could have given shape to more than 12 individual diamonds.
But faced with the incredible potential of this crude, they decided to favor cut stones to sign an exceptional finery.
A difficult choice that Graff had already had to make in 2017 against Lesedi La Rona and its precious 1109 carats.
The result ?
A host of ultra-pure diamonds and the highest clarity diamond ever certified by the Gemological Institute of America.
