Rare rough ruby goes on show in Dubai ahead of auction

Gulf Today Report

A rare rough ruby dubbed one of the world's biggest goes on display for the first time ahead of an auction in Dubai.

The 8,400-carat stone — nicknamed Burj Alhamal and weighing 2.8 kilogrammes (over six pounds) — was mined in Tanzania and made its debut at a Dubai hotel on Friday as part of SJ Gold and Diamond's Callisto collection.

The ruby stone has an estimated value of more than of $120 million.

It is scheduled to put this jewel in a public auction after the end of the month of Ramadan.

The ruby extracted from a town in central Tanzania, which bears the name Iris (Aries) will be displayed at the Waldorf Astoria in the Dubai International Financial Center next Friday, during a press conference. The company did not reveal the image of the sapphire in order to maintain confidentiality until the official announcement.

Patrick Bellati, General Manager at SJ Gold & Diamond, said: “For the first time we are displaying the gem of the collection in public, and the unveiling of this unique stone to the public is an affirmation of our approach to continuing to bring the most important rare stones around the world to the UAE.”