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North Little Rock, AR—With more and more consumers seeking products “Made In America,” one Arkansas jeweler will have the privilege of offering something extremely rare: a native diamond. The 8.52 carat “Esperanza” diamond—found at Arkansas’ Crater of Diamonds State Park in June by Colorado resident Bobbie Oskarson--will be cut, graded, designed into a piece of fine jewelry, and appraised, all through American Gem Society (AGS) members.

The stone began its journey with an AGS member, Neil Beaty, ICGA, of Denver, CO, where Oskarson initially took the stone after she found it. It will be cut by master diamond cutter and AGS member Mike Botha, of Embee Diamond Technologies in Prince Albert, SK, Canada, at a special cutting event at Stanley Jewelers Gemologist in North Little Rock, starting September 9. The triolette stone is expected to be approximately five carats after cutting and polishing.

Award-winning jewelry designer Erica Courtney of Los Angeles, also an AGS member, will design a one-of-a-kind mounting for the stone and craft a piece of jewelry, which will be sold at auction in early December 2015. AGS Laboratories will issue the final diamond grading report for the finished stone.

“We are excited to be a part of such an important and historical American diamond,” says Ruth Batson, CEO of American Gem Society and AGS Laboratories. “With so many AGS members involved, this is certain to become an American jewel that the ultimate owner/wearer enjoy with confidence.”

Canadian trade publication Jewellery Business did an extensive article about the stone and the cutters.  Read it here. To learn more about the diamond, visit: www.facebook.com/theesperanza.

Top image: The 8.52-ct. rough Esperanza. Photo: Peter Yantzer, AGS Laboratories