Diacolor acquires most-expensive Zambian emerald, unveils rare stone in New Delhi

NEW DELHI: Six months after having acquired The Inkalamu (Lion), luxury jewellery brand Diacolor has finally shown the world, and Delhi, what it looks like. Touted as the most-expensive Zambian Emerald, the 5655ct magnificent emerald was picked up for an undisclosed amount at the Gemfields auction in November last year.

The 5655-carat gem, presently being showcased at the Diacolor showroom in Delhi’s tony Emporio mall, boasts of remarkable clarity and a golden-green hue. The gem was unearthed at the world’s largest emerald mine, Kagem, and was named Inkalamu which means Lion in the Zambian language.

Talking about the high-end purchase, Diacolor’s Global's founder and Chairman, Rajkumar Tongya, termed it an “absolute must-have”. The veteran jeweller, who has been keeping an eye out for such objects to add to the brand’s portfolio for over three decades now, says that he was unable to turn his head away when he first spotted it at the auction.


“The homogenous green colour with a band of golden yellow and depth had grabbed my attention,” Tongya said, while recalling the “rare find from Mother Nature.”

His son, Rishabh, who is also the Creative Director of Diacolor, agrees, saying he experienced “goosebumps” when he saw the “kryptonite-type” emerald.

Diacolor, headed by the father-son Tongya duo who are originally from Jaipur, boasts of the finest Zambian emeralds, Mozambican rubies and flawless diamonds from across the world. Among some of its priceless stones include a 6,100-carat Insofu emerald which was discovered in the Kagem mine in Lufwanyama in 2010.

And now with the Inkalamu in their kitty, the brand wants to put it on show for the trading community across the country, and take it to international addresses as well.

“Once we have evaluated it, and after we have displayed it in museums, we will eventually have to cut it in order to process it,” Tongya Sr says, while hinting at a “pear-shaped, uniform-looking jewellery set” that may emerge finally from the contours of this green stone.

And while that happens, Rishabh says that it’s time to expand the seven-year-old brand presence further - to cities like Mumbai first, and then Hyderabad, Chennai and Bengaluru - cashing in on the new-found wealth that middle-class India has gathered in the past two decades.

“There is a great demand for gems, diamonds and rubies, and there is tremendous market potential as well. And we want to maximise jewellery as an art form,” he says.