Israeli company Eshed – Gemstar announced that they are the new Guinnes World Record title holder for the Largest uncut emerald. The record was given to the largest high-quality emerald ever found at Gemfields’ Kagem mine in Zambia, the 7,525-carat (1.505kg), single-crystal Chipembele. Chipembele, which means rhino in the indigenous Zambian dialect of Bemba, is known as “the rhino emerald”. Traditionally, only the rarest and most remarkable emeralds have been given names.
Eshed – Gemstar and Gemfields formally unveiled this accolade together at Gem Geneva, the world-renowned gem and jewellery show. Eshed – Gemstar acquired the extraordinary Chipembele at the Gemfields high-quality emerald auction in November 2021.
Chipembele ‘was unearthed in July 2021 at Kagem, the world’s largest single-producing emerald mine, owned by Gemfields in partnership with the Zambian government. According to Eshed – Gemstar, the geologist team who excavated it quite literally speechless. They believe it formed under near perfect conditions, allowing the combination of the elements beryllium, chromium and vanadium to crystallise into a large, distinct hexagonal crystal with glassy surfaces and a rich golden green colour.
The rarity of Chipembele is evident when looking at its unusually large size, coupled with an incredible transparency and vivid green colour. Its structure displays the emerald in its original crystal state without the presence of host rock or by-product. By shining a light through Chipembele, you can see deep within the gemstone and witness the intensity of colour and the unusual absence of inclusions. The combination of all these desirable features would indeed be deemed rare by any industry expert.
On the 5th of May, the second day of Gem Geneva, a very special ceremony was held to honour Eshed – Gemstar and its founder Avraham Eshed. This was followed by a champagne toast and presentation of the certificate of the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title, in the company of friends and colleagues from the gemstone and jewellery industries.
As well as being the founder of Eshed Diam and Gemstar, Avraham’s 50 years of experience in the industry includes being co-founder and director at Sarine technologies (the worldwide leader in advanced diamond technologies) and a founding member of the International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA). He was named Outstanding Exporter in 1977 and 1989 by the president of Israel, while Eshed Diam was named the country’s Outstanding Exporter to Asia by the Israel–Asia chamber of commerce in 2011; and Avraham was recognised by IsDMA – which he has served as director of – as an Israeli diamond industry dignitary in 2019.
“We congratulate Avraham on yet another achievement in his lifelong commitment to the coloured gemstone industry. Relationships with trusted partners like Eshed – Gemstar, who share Gemfields’ principles of trust and transparency, have been the driving force behind our ability to build a unique model within the coloured gemstone industry, which supports sustainable development in places like Zambia,” said Gemfields’ Director of Sales, Adrian Banks.
“We wanted to do something really special to celebrate our relationship with Africa and African gemstones and there is nothing more suitable than breaking the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for the Largest uncut emerald,” explained Avraham, adding: “We are here to inspire people worldwide and introduce them to the exquisite beauty and rarity of natural gemstones – especially natural gemstones from Africa. We want to pass our knowledge and love for natural gemstones to future generations.”
Achieving the indubitable distinction of a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title is a seminal moment for both Eshed – Gemstar and Gemfields, as well as for the gemstone industry as a whole and the African gemstone industry in particular. A trade show organised by industry insiders, Gem Geneva is a hub of creativity and innovation and one of the most important calendar dates in the jewellery world; it is the ideal event for this exciting announcement, as well as the perfect timing for it, with emerald being the birthstone of the month of May.
Kagem donated a share of the proceeds from the sale of Chipembele at auction to the North Luangwa Conservation Programme in Zambia, to aid critical black rhinoceros conservation efforts. Eshed – Gemstar will also contribute a share from their future sales of Chipembele.
Chipembele comes with unique DNA nanoparticle tagging and a blockchain ledger, both provided by Provenance Proof (a subsidiary of Gübelin Gem Lab). This means that the resulting cut and polished gems from Chipembele can be identified and certified as having originated from this extraordinary gemstone, and therefore from the Kagem emerald mine in Zambia. This provides peace of mind and promotes trust and transparency in the industry.
