Gemstones from Ukraine Auctioned for War Effort
August 25, 22
(IDEX Online) - Gemstones from Ukraine - topaz and heliodor beryl - are being sold in an online charity auction to fund the country's war effort.
It's being organized by New York-based artisanal gem cutters Nomad's, founded by ex-pat Ukrainians.
"We condemn the Russian state's unjust, brutal, criminal act of aggression toward Ukraine," they said in an Instagram post about the auction.
"The horrific atrocities there have caused immense suffering, fear, and heartbreak."
Leading the four-day sale (24 to 28 August) is a 162-carat heliodor beryl (pictured) from the Volodarsk Volynskii mine in Ukraine, with a starting bid of $15,400.
All money raised will go to United24, an initiative of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy which has so far raised $174m.