Concord Times (Freetown)
Njai Joszor
10 October 2008
While the US media was yet to get a close up of Beyonce's 'wedding' ring, the singer is reportedly holding on to quite an expensive package.
Jeweler's in London's Hatton Garden diamond district confirmed that the stone in Beyonce's ring was rare saying most likely it has come from Sierra Leone or South Africa.
The American R&B singer-songwriter (real name Beyonce Knowles) and rapper Jay-Z (real name Shawn Corey Carter) were said to have married in a secret ceremony on April 4, 2008.
According to the UK's Telegraph News, Jay-Z reportedly purchased the "If I Were A Boy" singer's ring from New York based jeweler Lorraine Schwartz for $2.5 million.
Up until at the weekend Beyonce has been reportedly hiding the ring, however, photographers in Miami caught the star rocking the ring on vacation.
Mohammed Cimark, who runs Precious Gems and Jewels in London, confirmed the huge octagon-cut diamond was a rarity.
He said: "If it is 18 carats then it's a lovely size, an exceptional diamond. It's clearly a premium stone. You can't recognise the colour from the photo and the clarity is hard to see, but the best clarity is internally flawless."
The jeweller said he believed the stone had been sourced from Africa.
He added to the MailOnline website: "Most diamonds this size you would get in South Africa or Sierra Leone. That's where you get the biggest diamonds."
The £2.5 million price tag is not likely to have troubled the rapper.
Jay-Z reportedly earned £41 million last year from his live performances and album sales, as well as his many other ventures, including a hotel and clothing range.
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