An Exceptional Unmounted Fancy Vivid Yellow Diamond.
Photo: Sotheby's
Auction of the Week: Rare Fancy Vivid Yellow Diamond Achieves $5.5 Million
The whopping 133.03-carat stone, a highlight of Sotheby's New York Magnificent Jewels, is the largest such variety ever to sell at auction
An Exceptional Unmounted Fancy Vivid Yellow Diamond. Photo: Sotheby’s
A significant new benchmark was set in the diamond market this week when an extraordinary Fancy Vivid Yellow Diamond, weighing a staggering 133.03 carats, sold for $5.5 million. The dazzling stone was the top lot at Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels auction in New York, which took place on December 5. The unmounted cushion modified brilliant-cut gem, which boasts VS2 clarity, surpassed its low estimate of $4 million.
The stunning rock was purchased by Diacore, a diamond manufacturer best known for crafting rare, exceptional diamonds. The company is also part of “Sotheby’s Diamonds,” a company that manufactures and market the stones specifically for private sale at select Sotheby’s locations.
A Magnificent Diamond Necklace. Photo: Sotheby's
Pink Sapphire and Diamond Ring. Photo: Sotheby’s
The 137-lot sale in New York achieved more than $38.4 million with 74.5 percent of the lots sold. Fancy colored and colorless diamonds dominated the top ten lots. The sale also saw strong demand for vintage jewels from legendary designers at Bulgari, Tiffany & Co., Cartier, and Harry Winston. Private collections from the estates of old Hollywood icons such as Mary Tyler Moore, Barbara Sinatra, Tony Randall and Red Skelton also proved popular—all ten pieces of Moore’s jewelry sold, for a total of $315,700, far above their estimate. Highlights included a gold ‘Monete’ necklace from Bulgari with the pendant featuring an ancient Greek coin that was gifted to Mary from her husband, Dr. S. Robert Levine for their anniversary. It sold for $38,000. Tyler Moore’s dazzling diamond ring weighing 5.14 carats sold for $76,200.
“We are extremely proud of today’s strong and promising results, further confirming that there continues to be exceptional value and broad interest in truly rare jewels, especially those with provenance,” said Quig Bruning, head of jewelry for America and Europe, the Middle East and Asia at Sotheby’s.
Cover: An Exceptional Unmounted Fancy Vivid Yellow Diamond.
Photo: Sotheby's
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