GEMSTAR CELEBRATES BREAKING A GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS

Gemstar is delighted to announce that they are the new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title holder for the Largest uncut emerald.
The record was given to the largest high-quality emerald ever found at Gemfields’ Kagem mine in Zambia, the extraordinary 7,525-carat (1.505kg), single-crystal Chipembele. Chipembele is known as “the rhino emerald”, with Chipembele meaning rhino in the indigenous Zambian dialect of Bemba.
Traditionally, only the rarest and most remarkable emeralds have been given names. It was with great pride that Eshed -Gemstar and Gemfields formally unveiled this accolade together at Gem Geneva, the world-renowned gem and jewellery show.
Kagem is the world’s largest single-producing emerald mine, owned by Gemfields in partnership with the Zambian government. It has yielded a number of exceptional gemstones in recent times, but none more so than Chipembele, whose discovery in July 2021 left the geologist team who excavated it speechless. They believe it formed under near perfect conditions, allowing the combination of the elements beryllium, chromium and vanadium to crystallise into a large, distinct hexagonal crystal with
glassy surfaces and a rich golden green colour.
The rarity of Chipembele is evident when looking at its unusually large size, coupled with an incredible transparency and vivid green colour. Its structure displays the emerald in its original crystal state without the presence of host rock or by-product. By shining a light through Chipembele, you can see deep within the gemstone and witness the intensity of colour and the unusual absence of inclusions.
The combination of all these desirable features would indeed be deemed rare by any industry expert. On the 5th of May, the second day of Gem Geneva, a very special ceremony was held to honour Eshed

• Gemstar and its founder Avraham Eshed. This was followed by a champagne toast and presentation
  of the certificate of the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title, in the company of friends and colleagues
  from the gemstone and jewellery industries.
  As well as being the founder of Eshed Diam and Gemstar, Avraham’s 50 years of experience in the
  industry includes being co-founder and director at Sarine technologies (the worldwide leader in
  advanced diamond technologies) and a founding member of the International Colored Gemstone
  Association (ICA). He was named Outstanding Exporter in 1977 and 1989 by the president of Israel,
  while Eshed Diam was named the country’s Outstanding Exporter to Asia by the Israel–Asia Chamber
  of Commerce in 2011; and Avraham was recognised by IsDMA – which he has served as director of – as
  an Israeli diamond industry dignitary in 2019.
  Eshed – Gemstar acquired the extraordinary Chipembele at the Gemfields high-quality emerald
  auction in November 2021.
  “We congratulate Avraham on yet another achievement in his lifelong commitment to the coloured
  gemstone industry. Relationships with trusted partners like Eshed – Gemstar, who share Gemfields’
  principles of trust and transparency, have been the driving force behind our ability to build a unique
  model within the coloured gemstone industry, which supports sustainable development in places like
  Zambia,” said Gemfields’ Managing Director – Product & Sales, Adrian Banks.
  “We wanted to do something really special to celebrate our relationship with Africa and African
  gemstones and there is nothing more suitable than breaking the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for
  the Largest uncut emerald,” explained Avraham, adding: “We are here to inspire people worldwide
  and introduce them to the exquisite beauty and rarity of natural gemstones – especially natural
  gemstones from Africa. We want to pass our knowledge and love for natural gemstones to future
  generations.”
  Achieving the indubitable distinction of a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title is a seminal moment for
  both Eshed – Gemstar and Gemfields, as well as for the gemstone industry as a whole and the African
  gemstone industry in particular. A trade show organised by industry insiders, Gem Geneva is a hub of
  creativity and innovation and one of the most important calendar dates in the jewellery world; it was
  the ideal event for this exciting announcement, as well as the perfect timing for it, with emerald being
  the birthstone of the month of May.
  Kagem donated a share of the proceeds from the sale of Chipembele at auction to the North Luangwa
  Conservation Programme in Zambia, to aid critical black rhinoceros conservation efforts. Eshed –
  Gemstar will also contribute a share from their future sales of Chipembele.
  Chipembele comes with unique DNA nanoparticle tagging and a blockchain ledger, both provided by
  Provenance Proof (a subsidiary of Gübelin Gem Lab). This means that the resulting cut and polished
  gems from Chipembele can be identified and certified as having originated from this extraordinary
  gemstone, and therefore from the Kagem emerald mine in Zambia. This provides peace of mind and
  promotes trust and transparency in the industry.

The great honour of a Zambian emerald like Chipembele achieving a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title
is sure to further the mission of raising awareness of African coloured gemstones and promoting best
practices in the industry.