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| Photo credit: Anthony DeMarco |
Luxury jewelry firm, Bayco Jewels, unveiled a 206-carat natural Colombian emerald named the “Imperial Emerald” in its showroom Thursday during the opening day of Baselworld 2013.
Owners of the company, Moris and Giacomo Hadjibay, said it is “one of the most precious gemstones to ever exist.” The brothers say that it was purchased from a private collector who owned it for 40 years. They refuse to reveal the price of the gem.
“We paid with our hearts,” a visibly emotional Moris said. In addition, its provenance is unknown.
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| Giacomo Hadjibay with the Imperial Emerald. Photo credit Anthony DeMarco |
The brothers say the purchase is a tribute to their father, Amir, an Iranian native who moved to Italy in 1957 and founded Bayco not long afterward. The company specializes in one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces made with exceptional gemstones. Amir, knew the previous owner of the gem and told the owner long ago that he would buy it whenever he was ready to sell.
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