Blue 2.74-carat type IIb diamond with no inclusions found in Yakutia's Nakyn field; ALROSA is cutting it

A natural blue diamond weighing 2.74 carats has been found in the Nakyn kimberlite field in Yakutia, pravda.ru reports, citing the press service of the Ministry of Industry of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia). According to the ministry, this is the first recorded case of a crystal of this type being mined at Russian deposits pravda.rupravda.rupravda.ruOpen source ↗.

Type IIb and purity

The stone belongs to type IIb, one of the rarest and most expensive categories of gemstones in the world. Its blue colour is caused by boron, which replaces carbon atoms in the crystal structure. The crystal is notable for exceptional purity: it has no internal inclusions, which, according to the report, substantially raises its commercial and jewellery value.

Geological significance and cutting

Besides its value as a gem, the find has geological importance. The presence of boron-bearing type IIb diamonds in the Nakyn ore field has been confirmed for the first time, which, as stated in the report, broadens understanding of how minerals form in the Earth's interior in this region.

Cutting is being done by 11 highly qualified ALROSA specialists. ALROSA CEO Pavel Marinychev said the event is unique for the domestic diamond industry. In his words, the craftsmen's responsibility is to preserve the stone's natural beauty as fully as possible while creating the final brilliant pravda.rupravda.rupravda.ruOpen source ↗.