© Provided by Local News RSS EN-GB A stunning 5,655-carat emerald said to be worth up to £2 million has been found in a mine in Zambia.

The beautiful Lion Emerald was discovered earlier this month at Kagem, the world’s largest emerald mine, of which 75 per cent is owned by London gemstone producer Gemfields.

It was found by geologist Debapriya Rakshit and miner Richard Kapeta and has been named “Inkalamu”, after the lion, in honour of the animal conservation work carried out in the area.

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The 5,655-carat gem, which has been described as having “remarkable clarity and a perfectly balanced golden green hue”, has become the second ever to be named by Gemfields.

The last was named in 2010 when the “Insofu”, or elephant stone, was unveiled. The 6,225-carat stone was sold in Lusaka, Zambia, to an Indian firm for an undisclosed amount.

The naming of uncut emeralds is a tradition reserved for the rarest and most remarkable gems, Gemfields said.

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Speaking after the find, London-based gemmologist at Gemfields Elena Basaglia said: “The discovery of this exceptional gemstone is such an important moment both for us and for the emerald world.

“We are experiencing strikingly increased demand for high-quality Zambian emeralds from the major brands, particularly in Europe, all of whom admire the rich colour and unique transparency of our gems.”

Ms Basaglia said the gemstone “will make its mark in the history books of exceptional gemstones”, suggesting stones taken from it “will continue its legacy for generations to come”.

The gem will be sold in a private auction in Singapore next month after being sealed before Zambian government officials and transported to the Far East.

“We expect a number of large, fine-quality cut emeralds to be borne of the Inkalamu crystal,” Adrian Banks, Gemfields’ managing director for product and sales, added.

“These important pieces are what return value to the buyer, and there might be hundreds of offcuts that are fashioned into smaller gems, cabochons and beads, but the key lies in recovering the fine quality pieces.”

The emeralds found in Kagem were formed more than 450 million years ago when a rare combination of in situ minerals and magma supported the right conditions for crystal growth.