Gemfields has announced an auction plan to sell a cluster of emeralds. Jackson Mtonga, Kagem Assistant Sort House Manager confirmed the report and said the bidding will close on November the 17th.
The gems will weigh 37,555 grams (187,775 carats), and Kafubu Cluster, discovered at its Kagem emerald mine in Zambia in March 2020 is likely to become the most expensive single emerald piece it has ever sold, given its size and quality. This will generate foreign exchange for the nation as proceeds are repatriated to Zambia.
Kafubu Cluster
The Kafubu Cluster was discovered in the Chama pit of the Kagem emerald mine, based in Lufwanyama in Zambia. Kafubu is a river which forms the natural boundary of Kagem in the southern part of the Kagem licence, and it is from this that the Kafubu Cluster takes its name – honouring the unique landscape in which it was formed. Kagem is believed to be the world’s single largest producing emerald mine; it is 75% owned by Gemfields, in a model partnership with the Zambian government.
“Rarity is one of the factors that makes emeralds hold such a special value in many cultures around the world. But the combination of this crystal cluster formation, the overall quality and the sheer enormity of the Kafubu Cluster is something I never thought possible,” said Jackson Mtonga.
According Gemfields, Zambian emeralds tend to have a higher iron content than emeralds from other origins, which means they are less fragile. High iron content also means fewer surface-reaching fractures and less need for treatments and enhancements.