15-05-2019
The birthstone for May, emerald symbolises rebirth and renewal. Fabergé and Gemfields are celebrating this May with responsibly sourced Zambian emeralds, pushing into the limelight the Lady Libertine I wristwatch and the rough Inkalamu, or the Lion Emerald (photo 1).
Lady Libertine I (photo 2) features 2.39 carats of hand-carved rough emeralds, 578 snow-set emeralds and 18 brilliant cut diamonds on the dial inspired by the Zambian landscape, with Dalliance manual-winding movement 6911.
“Rough emerald is very fragile and is rarely used in the watch industry,” says Aurelie Picaud, Fabergé’s director of timepieces. “Our workmasters hand carved the stone very carefully, drawing out the beauty of each rough emerald. The result is a unique and fitting tribute to the sweeping savannas, striking earth colours and lush green landscapes that contribute to the glory of Africa.”
Showing with the timepiece is the 5,655-carat Inkalamu, or Lion Emerald, emerald crystal (photo 3) with high clarity and a balanced golden green colour discovered at Kagem by geologist Debapriya Rakshit and veteran emerald miner Richard Kapeta last October. The rough was sold to DiaColor at Gemfields’ auction in Singapore a month later. Ten percent of the proceeds was donated to Gemfields’ conservation partners the Zambian Carnivore Programme and the Niassa Carnivore Project.
Gemfields owns 75 percent of the Kagem mine in partnership with the Zambian government. High jewellery brand Fabergé is wholly owned by Gemfields. (Photo courtesy: Gemfields)
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