It was in October last year that word started to spread around Kagem, a Zambian emerald mine, that something truly sensational had been uncovered. That ‘something sensational’ turned out to be Inkalamu, a giant 5,655-carat emerald that stunned the haute joaillerie world with its size and clarity when it came up for sale at a Gemfields emerald auction in Singapore a few months later. 

Fittingly, its name – Inkalamu – was taken from the local word for ‘lion’ and was chosen specifically to honour the internationally-recognised work the Zambian government has done to preserve the country’s dwindling lion population. Sadly, the gem itself is unlikely to enjoy a similar level of protection, with plans already in place to divide the lion emerald into a number of smaller jewels.

This, however, is not the first time that Kagem has surrendered a stone of such remarkable size and quality. Early in 2010, Gemfields uncovered a massive 6,225-carat emerald, which was catalogued as Insofu – ‘elephant’ in the local Bemba dialect – on account of its immense bulk. The mine, however, is seen as far from played out, with Zambia now regarded as the world’s principal supplier of new emeralds.