Alrosa Finds Diamond Shaped as Soccer Ball

RAPAPORT... Alrosa has unearthed a rough diamond bearing an uncannyresemblance to a soccer ball, and with flawless timing: bang in the middle ofthe World Cup taking place in Russia. The miner discovered the 0.50-carat stone at itsKarpinskaya-1 pipe in the Arkhangelsky region last Wednesday, three days beforethe Russian national soccer team's quarterfinal against Croatia. Alrosa CEOSergey Ivanov said he hoped it was a good omen ahead of the game, though itdidn't work: Russia lost in a penalty shoot-out and exited the tournament. "Nature creates a lot of different shapes, sometimesunexpected, but it is the first time we see something looking like a football,"a spokesperson for the Russian miner told Rapaport News Sunday. The producer will name the diamond after Igor Akinfeev,Russia's goalkeeper. Alrosa, one of the World Cup's sponsors, has made the mostof the marketing opportunity, releasing a collection of 32 round, 0.3-caratpolished diamonds in honor of the sports event - one for each of the countriestaking part in the tournament. It also launched a competition for fans to choosea soccer-related name for a 76.53-carat rough stone. However, none of thosediamonds had the distinction of actually looking like a soccer ball.Image: Alrosa