By Spencer Sterritt

VIDEO: “Largest and most valuable American diamond” back in P.A.

Nov 4, 2015 | 5:58 AM

A one-of-a-kind diamond has returned to Prince Albert.

Embee Diamonds’ Mike Botha and his son Evert returned to town with the 4.62-carat Esperanza diamond, after they cut it down from 8.52 in Little Rock, Arkansas.

“I don’t know how many days I’ve spent in airports and on planes in the last month,” Evert said.

Mike, who is doing the cutting and polishing, calls it a “difficult diamond.”

Without getting into too much technical detail, the diamond is not a normal shape, and is very hard to cut.

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Nitrogen particles make diamonds softer and easier to cut. The Esperanza has no nitrogen in it.

The diamond has been properly polished, and now Mike is working on the small surface marks to make the diamond really shine.

“It’s a challenging job,” Mike said. “Because of the complexities and the hardness of the crystal…it’s an extremely difficult diamond to polish.”

Embee Diamonds has given the diamond some Saskatchewan personality. The diamond is a “deformed elongated dodecahedron,” but Mike has cut 126 trapezoids into the surface of the diamond.

Saskatchewan is the only trapezoid province or state in the world.

“Saskatchewan is very well represented in the shape of the diamond,” Mike said.

Evert says cutting the diamond is as much about his father cutting the diamond as it is about Prince Albert being able to attach itself to a piece of history that doesn’t involve hockey or politics.

“As a community we’ve seen incredible support and interest (in the diamond) and other projects we’ve been involved in,” he said.

The Esperanza received a D colour grade, which means the diamond is internally flawless. Evert says for a diamond of this size to receive that grade makes it an exceptional stone.

“We need to push it the extra level. If it’s flawless then due to its size and the colour it moves into a space of probably less than one thousand diamonds in existence. She’s going to be in an exceptional league and great company.”

Once the diamond gets a final grade it goes on a media tour through the American South through the winter months.

If the diamond has not been bought by mid-February it will go up for auction.

Evert estimates the diamond will go for roughly half-a-million dollars.

“As she sits right now we believe she’s moving into an exceptional price range,” he said.

The Esperanza was found in Arkansa’s Crater of Diamonds State Park. It is the fourth largest diamond to be found in Arkansas and it’s the first of its size to be cut and polished there.

It has caused quite a stir. Evert says hundreds of people came through the shop during the first week, and came from far and wide to see the Esperanza.

A documentary was filmed that can be watched below:

-with files from Khang Nguyen

ssterritt@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @spencer_sterrit