Canadian master gem-cutting company Wobito Gems has faceted a 121.65-carat pear-shape Csarite, making it the largest known cut stone of its kind and a rarity.
“It was an exciting challenge to cut this stone,” said Rudi Wobito, master cutter and co-owner of Wobito Gems in Stouffville, Ont.
“Csarite rough very rarely produces a fine gem of this size and calibre. And it’s a very slow process to shape the rough and finally arrive at the finished gem. We studied the material from all angles for weeks before deciding on the final shape.”
The colour-changing diaspore was cut from rough weighing 430 g. The only other large Csarite gemstones of a similar size have been cabochons that exhibit the cat’s eye and colour-change effect. An 88.49-carat pear-shape Csarite took home a 2014 AGTA Cutting Edge Award.
Murat Akgun, president of Milenyum Mining Ltd., says typical loss from rough Csarite is 98 per cent.
“We have recovered rough pieces three times the size of this one, and ended up with no faceted stones. We lost only 95 per cent of the large specimen in cutting this gem, again setting it apart as a truly unique gem. This fine-quality Csarite is certainly the world’s largest at this time, and we expect the retail price to be close to a million dollars.”
