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Massive 52-carat diamond named in honor of Russia’s late envoy to Turkey

Russia’s Ambassador to Turkey Andrey Karlov was shot dead in December 2016 by a terrorist

MOSCOW, September, 8. /TASS/. A massive diamond weighing 51.91 carats unearthed in July was named in honor of late Russian Ambassador to Turkey, Andrey Karlov, the nation’s biggest diamond producer Alrosa stated in a press release on Friday.

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"In order to pay tribute to Russia’s late Ambassador to Turkey Andrey Karlov who died tragically on December 19, 2016, and to show our great respect for his service to Russia by strengthening our nation’s global stature and defending its interests, we have decided to name this diamond in honor of Andrey Karlov. Massive diamonds occur rarely in nature and each of them is unique. Likewise, Andrey Karlov was also a very unique individual and diplomat," noted Alrosa CEO Sergey Ivanov.

The symbolic diamond was unearthed in July 11, 2017. Russia’s Ambassador to Turkey Andrey Karlov was shot dead in December 2016, by a terrorist while he was delivering a speech at the opening ceremony of a photo exhibition in Ankara. He was awarded the honorary title of Hero of Russia posthumously "for displaying tenacity and courage as the Russian Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador in Turkey, and for his invaluable contribution to Russia’s foreign policy."

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