Jewelry' Global Week: Mozambique found the world's largest gem-quality ruby rough, weighing 101 ct

Dubai gem miner Fura Gems last week announced that it had mined a 101ct gem-quality ruby rough in Mozambique. With excellent clarity and a "pigeon's blood" color rating, the gemstone is said to be the largest gemstone ever found in the world, and the finished gemstone is expected to exceed 50ct after cutting.

Fura Gems named the ruby "Estrela de Fura", which means "Star of Fura" in Portuguese. The company says giant rubies known worldwide contain more impurities or cracks that cannot be cut into high-quality gemstones and are therefore not comparable to "Estrela de Fura."

Gübelin Gemological Laboratories assessed that "Estrela de Fura" has an intense and full red hue when it is cut in ideal proportions; According to GRS Labs, "This ruby has features typically found only in rubies in the Mogok mine in Myanmar, and it has a strong fluorescence reaction under ultraviolet light, a vivid red color, and excellent clarity."

The "Estrela de Fura" ruby will be available for an appointment at the Dubai Diamond Exchange on 14 September. Fura Gems plans to hold a private auction of the gem in October 2022.

To date, the auction price record holder for a cut ruby is a 25.59 ct Burmese "pigeon blood" ruby "Surinse Ruby" – hammered at Sotheby's Geneva in 2015 for 28.25 million Swiss francs (about $30.4 million), an average of $1.19 million per carat, also the highest single carat auction record for rubies.

Pictured: 101ct rough ruby "Estrela de Fura"





Photo: 25.59ct Burmese "Pigeon Blood Red" Ruby "Surinse Ruby"