Posted on Fri, Apr 02, 2010
Fancy purplish-red is the official color grade of the 0.82-carat diamond that is slated to be the first red diamond ever offered for public auction in Australia. The April 12th auction is also the first standalone jewelry sale for Sotheby's Australia branch.
The 0.82-carat, fancy purplish-red Argyle diamond is set into a ring and is flanked by a pair of fancy blue diamonds in a round brilliant-cut diamond surround, all mounted in platinum. Its value is estimated at between 700,000 and 1 million Australian dollars (between about $645,065 and $921,556) and will be accompanied by a letter from Argyle Diamonds attesting to its rarity. The Argyle diamond deposits have produced many notable pink diamonds but less than a handful of red diamonds have been discovered. Connoisseurs have long considered red diamonds to be among the most precious and rare of diamonds.
via National Jeweler
Posted on Mon, Mar 01, 2010
Petra Diamonds set a new record last week for highest-selling rough diamond. The 507.5 carat Cullinan Heritage Diamond was purchased for $35.3m (US) at auction surpassing the previous record of $18.4m (US) from 2008. The high price tag is a true testament of its rarity and high quality. Although the buyer Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Company has not announced what it plans to do with the diamond, it has the potential to produce one of the World's most important and impressive polished gems. The Cullinan Heritage Diamond was discovered in September 2009 from Cullinan mine in South Africa which has produced many of the world's most famous diamonds. Large diamonds have always been fascinating. From the Hope to the Koh-i-Noor, they seem to akin themselves to legend and a bit of mystery. The Cullinan Heritage's future has yet to be decided however we expect it to be as brilliant as its predecessors.... After all, it is the 19th largest gem quality diamond EVER found!
Posted on Thu, Dec 03, 2009
A stunning pink diamond set a new record for value at Christie's Hong Kong auction this past Tuesday. The 5 carat, fancy vivid pink, Type IIA diamond has an exceptionally attractive pink "bubblegum" color and is a truly rare and special gem.The price represents the highest price per carat ever paid for a pink diamond, and it's another show of the market's strength for truly rare, fancy colored diamonds. The diamond was purchased by a private Chinese collector.
Posted on Wed, Oct 21, 2009
This afternoon, the Annenberg Diamond was auctioned at Christies and was sold for a price of $7.7 million. The diamond is a 32 carat, D Flawless square emerald cut mounted in a David Webb ring with 2 pear shapes side stones. The night before the auction, I had the opportunity to hold and study the stone, and I must say it is a truly exceptional diamond in every way. Congratulations to the lucky new owner.
Posted on Tue, Sep 29, 2009
The wonders of nature never cease to amaze. A major diamond was found at the Cullinan mine in South Africa, one of the top 20 largest ever. The new stone weighs 507 carats and is of exceptional color and clarity. The Cullinan mine has produced some of the world’s largest rough diamonds, most notably the largest one ever found at 3,106 carats, aptly named “The Cullinan.” The largest finished diamond from that piece of rough – the "Cullinan 1", or "Great Star of Africa" – is set in Britain’s Imperial Scepter as part of the Crown Jewels. The second largest stone to come from that rough – the "Cullianan 2", or "Lesser Star of Africa" – is set in the Imperial State Crown. Who knows what future awaits for this newly found treasure?
A 700 carat rough diamond cut by Kwiat.
