Montreal financier Vincent Boucher wants his Billionaire Business Inc. to become as known for coloured gemstones as De Beers Diamond Jewellers Ltd. is for clear precious stones.
Boucher is off to a good start as owner of the largest cut Paraiba tourmaline, which, at nearly 192 carats, shatters the Guinness World Records holder with its mass of just under 52 carats.
He expects his tourmaline to soon be certified by Guinness and included in the 2011 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records (the 2010 version is already out).
Although valued at between $25 million and $125 million, what the 36-year-old company CEO called a “perfect and flawless stone” isn’t for sale – yet.
In presenting what he has named the Ethereal Carolina Divine Paraiba to The Gazette at the Kaufmann de Suisse exclusive jewellery boutique on Crescent St. yesterday, Boucher said he will tour the globe with the oval-shaped clear turquoise gem once it’s officially recognized as the biggest.
It was already certified in June by the Gemological Institute of America, the foremost authority in gemology.
The Ethereal Carolina is part of the Planetary Collection held by Billionaire Business, the firm the former Canadian Space Agency employee founded in 2000 with his own money.
The holder of degrees in physics, political science and aerospace engineering spent the first seven years researching the $200-billion international precious stones market and began acquiring gems two years ago.
He has had the Ethereal Carolina for six months and declined to say how much he paid for it.
On the Web: www.vincent boucher.com
Story via the Montreal Gazette
Robyn Hawk
Latest posts by Robyn Hawk (see all)
- BrilliAnt®, the 8th edition of the ADTF, Goes International - August 13, 2016
- AGTA Spectrum Awards™ "Platinum Honors" Winnners #AGTA15 - August 11, 2016
- YES! an #Olympic #Jewelry Story! It Happened In The Pool #JewelryMoment - August 9, 2016
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Fabulous story! Thanks for posting this. I will be in line. Is Mr. Boucher married, I wonder.
$25 t0 $125 million dollars? Yeah, right
A small matter of $100 million here and there.
And badly cut.
When you go to his website there is no contact address that is operative.
Whacked , madam Robyn, whacked..
Hans