The Israel Diamond Exchange (IDE) opened its first ever International Rough Diamond Week with delegates of major mining companies participating and some remarkably large diamonds on display.

The exceptional blue vivid 29.6 carat diamond known to be one of the most important blue diamond ever recovered purchased by the New York luxury‏ ‏diamond brand Cora International through the South African company Golden Yellow Diamonds, displayed at the International Rough Diamond Week is turning out to be the major highlight of the event.

The stone is an outstanding vivid blue with extraordinary saturation, tone and clarity, and has the potential to yield a polished stone of great value and was recovered by Petra Diamonds at the Cullinan Mine ‎in South Africa and purchased by Cora for ‏approximately $25.5 million‏. ‏

The blue diamond is expected to be ‘the jewel in the crown of the event,’ according IDE President Shmuel Shnitzer. He also stated that that the show is expected to put the IDE on the global rough diamond map.