Esperanza Diamond – A First Hand Look

Less than 250 days ago Mother Earth gave the world an astonishing treasure – one that she had created billions of years ago and hundreds of miles beneath the crust. With its discovery in the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas in June of 2015 the whirlwind journey of an iconic American diamond began, and in a most unexpected way. It did not come as a result of heavily mechanized mining deep in the ground in a remote country, but rather though the casual efforts of a regular American on vacation, exploring nature and enjoying the great outdoors.

The journey of the Esperanza from that point involved a number of outstanding members of the American Gem Society (AGS) and the showcasing of this American treasure in a manner deserving of a once-in-a-lifetime diamond find. First, the icicle shaped rough crystal of exceptional color and clarity would have to be faceted into a polished gem. Accomplishing that task would involve the development of an entirely new facet design, and an elite level of skill to successfully execute the cutting and polishing of an incredibly complex facet arrangement.

To honor the provenance of the diamond, the diamond was specially cut on-site in Arkansas by Mike Botha, an AGS member, and then graded by the AGS Laboratories. And a completely unique custom-made pendant was created for the exceptional 4.60 carat D IF bullet shaped diamond which was designed and crafted in the USA by fellow AGS members Ian Douglas and Byard F. Brogan respectively.

And finally, the finished wonder was sent on a coast to coast tour of the USA, hosted along the way by a select group of American Gem Society member stores. Whiteflash was given the extreme honor of being selected to host the Esperanza in Houston, providing the Whiteflash team a rare opportunity for hands-on experience with the historic jewel. We made the most of the short time to study her and to capture many lovely photographs and videos. We also invited a special delegation of diamond connoisseurs who contribute to the most influential online diamond education forum to visit us during the event and to see Esperanza in all her glory.

All who have had the opportunity to see the Esperanza in person have come away with the same impression; she is absolutely stunning in the most unexpected of ways. While not flashy in the same way a round brilliant diamond is expected to be, the Esperanza draws the eye in and engages the senses like few other diamonds the world has ever known. It is not as much a “gemstone” as it is a gem sculpture – a small and magical work of art. Perfectly colorless and internally flawless, the three dimensional nature of this carefully crafted system of tiny mirrors is mesmerizing in a way that is absolutely unique as an art form. And the design of the pendant holding her enhances the essence of the Esperanza’s special appeal by elevating her and allowing views from all directions.

Aside from the phenomenal qualities and exceptional nature of this flawless white diamond with the mind-blowing cut, the story of the Esperanza and her All-American pedigree is one that will resonate through the ages. The USA deserves an iconic diamond, and the Esperanza is all that and more! While America has traditionally been the biggest driver of the diamond market, the US is not known for producing world class diamonds. But the Esperanza has now written a new chapter in American diamond history!

Because she is unique in every way, initial valuation of the Esperanza Diamond was necessarily based largely on intuition. But with an auction looming in the near future we will all find out soon what the market really thinks of her. The final sale price is likely to go significantly higher than preliminary estimates.