Louis Vuitton to Cut 549-carat Lucara Diamond

(IDEX Online) - Louis Vuitton has struck a deal to cut and polish a second giant diamond for Canadian miner Lucara.

The 549-carat Sethunya (pictured) was recovered from the Karowe mine, Botswana, in February. It is the fourth largest stone ever found in the country.

The agreement with the French fashion and luxury house follows a deal to cut an even bigger stone from the same mine  -  the 1,758-carat Sewelô.

The stone will be manufactured by the diamond manufacturing and technology company HB Antwerp.

Louis Vuitton will have the right to sell the resulting polished diamonds. Lucara will be paid a sum based on the outcome, which will be determined by HB's scanning and planning technologies.

Lucara's chief executive, Eira Thomas, said the company looked forward to creating "an extraordinary, bespoke, polished diamond collection, catering exclusively to the desires of Louis Vuitton's global customer base."