A jeweller and gem carver hopes her record-breaking largest cut Tanzanite, that weighs almost as much as a billiard ball, will help her make a positive change in the world.
The record-breaking gem is an extraordinary 703.4 carats (140.68 g) and was achieved by award-winning art jeweller Naomi Sarna in Hillsboro, Oregon, USA, on 9 March 2024.
For context, a billiard ball weighs 150 g.
The gigantic gem named L’Heure Bleu, or the Blue Hour in French, was first acquired in Tanzania by Naomi in the mines located in the foothills of Mt. Kilimanjaro.
Tanzanite is only found in Tanzania in a mining area of just about 7 km (4.3 mi) long and 2 km (1.2 mi) wide near the Merelani Hills.
The mines are part of the ancestral land of the Maasai, and it is the only place in the world where this blue-violet gemstone is found.
This gemstone is known for its blue, violet and burgundy hues. Originally fairly unknown outside its region of origin, the jewellery brand Tiffany & Co. popularized the "tanzanite" name in the 1960s as an easier name to remember for their marketing campaigns than the scientific "blue-violet zoisite".
Naomi hand-carved the 703.4 -carat L’Heure Bleu from Tanzanite that she found on a trip to Tanzania, a place and a culture she feels strongly connected to.
Achieving the Guinness World Records title is more than a personal triumph for Naomi, who wants to donate the profits from the sale of the L’Heure Bleu carving to the Maasai people to provide eye care for the community.
The Guinness World Records title of world’s largest cut tanzanite brings my L’Huere Bleu carving international recognition and attention. This gives strength to my promise to bring eyecare to the Maasai people. It also paved the way to building an association with the Casey Eye Institute, which will allow us to work together in miraculous ways! - Naomi Sarna
Naomi is widely known in the gemstone community for her artistic and intricate carvings of precious gemstones.
Classically trained as a sculptor, she was commissioned in the 2010s to travel to Tanzania to teach the Maasai women how to create jewellery from the local gemstone. On arriving in Tanzania, she realized that many of the Maasai suffered from easily treatable eye conditions (basic vision correction, cataracts, etc), and made it her mission to figure out a way to raise funds for the community to receive treatment.
Profits from the sale of L’Heure Bleu will go to the Casey Eye Institute to dispense eye care for the Maasai.
Naomi travels the world in search of coloured gemstones. Her work has been displayed in several museums, including the Permanent American Gems Collection of the Smithsonian National Gem Collection. She is the recipient of prestigious awards, including 23 AGTA Spectrum Awards and two Zie Gang Bei Jade Carving Association Awards – the most respected and prestigious design competitions in the industry.
The official Guinness World Records attempt took place at the Rice Museum in Hillsboro, Oregon, USA, and was verified by Adjudicator Michael Empric. In addition, two independent gemmologists were present at the attempt to verify the carved stone was indeed Tanzanite, and to complete the final weighing.
L’Heure Bleu surpassed the previous record of 618 carats (123.6 grams) by the Medici Collection, LLC (USA) verified on 9 March 2020.
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