Diamonds Update

The recent discovery of the second-biggest diamond in history -- a staggering 1,758-carat stone -- is a remarkable find, but there's a debate over its real market value.

Lucara Diamond Corp. said it recovered the stone from the Karowe mine in Botswana. The previous holder of the No. 2 position, a 1,111-carat diamond called Lesedi La Rona, was also unearthed in Karowe.

However, the company said the newly found diamond is "a near-gem of variable quality," which means that, as far as diamonds are concerned, the size of the stone is not what's most important.

"There are several qualities, also color and clarity, in addition to size, as well as how it can be cut," Rob Bates, a blogger on the diamond and jewelry industries, told CNN. "In the case of the Lesidi, even in its raw form it looked kind of beautiful. In addition to being large, it had wonderful color and clarity."

That's not exactly the case for this diamond, according to Eric Emms, a gem trader and industry commentator.

"The clarity looks to be poor (from the photo)," he said."'Near-gem' is a term for a crystal which will produce very little gem quality faceted."

The only larger diamond previously unearthed was the 3,106-carat Cullinan Diamond, which was discovered in South Africa in 1905. The Cullinan was eventually cut into smaller stones, some of which are now part of British royal family's crown jewels.

Natural diamonds are typically rated as gem-quality, near-gem or industrial-quality, explained Paul Zimnisky, an independent diamond analyst in New York.

"Most gem-quality is used as jewelry, industrial-quality is typically used for abrasive application. Near-gem can be used as lower-end jewelry or for individual purposes," he said.

While gem-quality diamonds can sell for hundreds or thousands of dollars per carat, and fancy colored diamonds can be in the hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars per carat, industrial diamonds tend to sell for only about $1 per carat, he added.

"In this case, the recovered gem appears to be near-gem quality with portions appearing to be gem-quality. So until the true quality of the whole stone can be determined, it is very difficult to value it," he said.

Still, Lucara's discovery is notable in showcasing the company's ability to unearth huge diamonds, as Eira Thomas, Lucara's CEO, pointed out in the company statement.

"Karowe has now produced two diamonds greater than 1,000 carats in just four years, affirming the coarse nature of the resource and the likelihood of recovering additional, large, high quality diamonds in the future," she said.

It also shows how unpredictable nature is, for a gem this big to have survived in the Earth's crust, Bates says.

"It is a handful of companies who are able to economically cut it in a way that produces the most valuable -- but it's always an exciting moment when a mine coughs up a huge stone like that. It's good for the business, good for the country of Botswana."

Botswana's state-run Okavango Diamond Company unveiled 4/17/2019 what is believed to be the largest blue diamond ever discovered in the southern African country, one of the world’s top producers.

The 20.46 carats, oval-shape fancy precious rock has been named "The Okavango Blue" in honour of the Okavango Delta, the country's wildlife-rich world heritage site.

From all coloured diamonds, blue ones are the most unusual and that’s why the miner says its find is one of the rarest in the world.

"It is incredibly unusual for a stone of this colour and nature to have come from Botswana – a once-in-lifetime find, which is about as rare as a star in the Milky Way," Okavango Diamond Company managing director Marcus ter Haar said in a statement.

"It sits in the very top bracket of all-time historical blue diamond finds [especially because] only a very small percentage of the world's diamonds are classified as fancy colour," he noted, adding the company expects to sell it by the end of the year.

In 2016, a massive intense blue diamond, known as The Cullinan Dream, sold for $25.4 million at a Christie’s auction in New York, breaking all records and becoming the most expensive gem of its kind ever sold at auction.

Last year, a 6.16-carat blue diamond, secretly passed down through European royalty over three centuries, fetched $6.7 million at a Sotheby’s auction in Geneva — $1.4 million more than what experts expected it to be sold for.

Arguably, the most famous is the Hope Diamond, also known as Le Bijou du Roi ("the King's Jewel"), Le bleu de France ("France's Blue"), and the Tavernier Blue. The massive, 45.52-carat, deep-blue diamond is now kept at the U.S. National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.

Botswana, which was overtaken by Russia as the world’s top diamond producing country in 2014, is grappling with aging mines, as well as power and water shortages.

Still, diamonds are the country’s main source of income and account for about 80% of its exports.

The nation is home to some of the world’s most prolific diamond mines, including Lucara Diamond’s Karowe operation, where the now-famous Lesedi la Rona, the second-largest gem-quality diamond to ever be found, was unearthed in 2016.

Besides diamonds, the country also produces nickel, copper, coal and iron ore.

A Bulgari diamond ring surpassed its estimate at Christie’s in New York on Wednesday, bringing in more than $18 million.

The cushion-cut, 8.08-carat, fancy-vivid-blue piece was the event’s top seller at $18.3 million, beating its presale estimate of $13 million to $18 million. It completes a mixed week for colored-diamond sales after a 10.62-carat, fancy-vivid-blue diamond — estimated at $20 million to $30 million — failed to find a buyer at Sotheby’s in New York on Tuesday.

Proceeds at Christie’s Magnificent Jewels auction came to $69.2 million, with 95% of lots sold by value. Those items included a heart-shaped, 15.56-carat, fancy intense-pink diamond-pendant necklace, which garnered $9.5 million against a presale estimate of $9.5 million to $12 million.

Other notable lots included a 28.70-carat, D-color, VVS2-clarity, type IIa diamond ring from the estate of art collector Lee Vandervelde. That piece sold for $2.1 million, against its $1.5 million to $2.5 million presale estimate, with proceeds benefiting the Los Angeles-based Children’s Hospital and Children’s Institute.

A pair of earrings weighing a combined 77.71 carats, cut from the 187.63-carat Diavik Foxfire — North America’s largest known gem-quality rough diamond — brought in $1.6 million. Its original valuation was $1.3 million to $3 million. An 8.09-carat, fancy-vivid-yellow diamond ring by Gillot & Co. achieved $1.3 million, versus its presale estimate of $900,000 to $1.2 million.

A diamond “tube” bracelet by Suzanne Belperron went for $852,500, smashing its expected price of $200,000 to $300,000 and setting a world auction record for pieces by the designer.

“The excitement and prices achieved in our New York sale tonight, including the exceptional price achieved for the sensational fancy-vivid-blue diamond ring by Bulgari, and the world auction record realized for Suzanne Belperron, mark a perfect ending to our successful year of global jewelry auctions,” said Daphne Lingon, head of jewelry for Christie’s Americas.

Ref: Rapaport 

On Nov. 13, Christie’s Geneva sold the much-hyped 18.96 ct. fancy vivid Pink Legacy (pictured) for $50.3 million to Harry Winston—setting a new per-carat record for a pink diamond.

Its new owner has since rechristened the rectangular-cut VS1-clarity gem the Winston Pink Legacy.

The hammer price came after what Christie’s called “five minutes of spirited bidding” and topped the diamond’s pre-auction estimate of $30 million–$50 million.

“The room was packed solid as private collectors and dealers wanted to see the sale of the pink diamond,” says Francois Curiel, chairman of Christie’s Asia. “In the end it was purchased by Harry Winston, bidding against Vickie Sek, head of Christie’s jewelry department in Asia. There were many underbidders, all on the phone, with our Geneva- and London-based colleagues.”

The Legacy’s $2.7 million per-carat price tops the previous record holder, the 14.93 ct. fancy vivid Pink Promise, which fetched $2.1 million a carat in Hong Kong last year. But the Legacy’s overall price still fell below the $71 million garnered by the 59.5 ct. fancy vivid Pink Star, which in 2017 set a world auction record at Sotheby’s not only for a pink diamond but any kind of diamond or gemstone.

Christie’s described the Pink Legacy as “descended” from the Oppenheimer family, which formerly controlled De Beers, though it did not specify which family member owned the gem. Before its sale, the family had sold it to a private collector.

This is at least the third major diamond that has been purchased by Harry Winston since it was bought by the Swatch Group in 2013.

“We are proud to continue in the Winston tradition of acquiring the finest gems in the world,” said Winston president and CEO Nayla Hayek in a statement. “Tonight, the Winston Pink Legacy joins our incredible legacy collection, which began with the acquisition of the 101 ct. D flawless Winston Legacy diamond at Christie’s in 2013.”

Winston also bought a 13 ct. fancy vivid blue for $24.2 million in 2014.

Ref: JCKOnline.com

Christie’s expects to sell a rare fancy-vivid-pink diamond for between $30 million and $50 million, potentially setting a new world auction record price for the color category. 

The rectangular-cut, 18.96-carat, type IIa Pink Legacy, belonging to the Oppenheimer Family, will lead the Magnificent Jewels sale in Geneva, the auction house said Tuesday. The stone is the largest fancy-vivid-pink diamond Christie’s has ever auctioned, describing the piece as internally “very pure.” 

“The discovery of this previously unrecorded and remarkable diamond will cause immense excitement with collectors and connoisseurs of diamonds around the world,” said Rahul Kadakia, international head of jewelry at Christie’s. “Its exceptional provenance will no doubt propel it into a class of its own as one of the world’s greatest diamonds.” 

The Pink Promise, an oval-shaped, 14.93-carat, vivid-pink diamond, which Christie’s sold at its Hong Kong auction for $32.5 million in 2017, holds the current record. 

Christie’s will sell the Pink Legacy at its Magnificent Jewels auction on November 13 at the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues in Geneva. The auction house will preview the stone in Hong Kong, London, New York and Geneva between September 28 and November 13. 

This spring, the Farnese Blue, a diamond with an incredible historic pedigree, will be offered by Sotheby’s—marking the first time the gem has ever been brought to auction. Originally given to Queen of Spain Elisabeth Farnese by the Philippines to celebrate her marriage to King Philip in 1714, the gem was later owned by a descendant of France’s last queen, Marie Antoinette. Over the next 300 years, it was furtively passed down through four European royal families. The 6.16-carat, pear-shaped dark gray-blue diamond was hidden in a casket as it traveled through Spain, France, Italy, and Austria.

“With its incredible pedigree, the Farnese Blue ranks among the most important historic diamonds in the world,” said Dr. Philipp Herzog von Württemberg, chairman of Sotheby’s Europe and managing director of Germany, in a statement from the auction house. “From the first minute I saw the stone, I could not resist its magic, and as such, it is a huge privilege to have been entrusted with this sale.”

Blue has often been identified as the color of kings and in the 17th and 18th centuries, blue diamonds were viewed as the ultimate royal gift. Like the famous Hope and Wittelsbach diamonds, the Farnese Blue was certainly found in the famed Golconda mines of India, which was the sole source of diamonds until the discoveries in Brazil in the 1720s.

“It is difficult to put into words the excitement of holding between thumb and forefinger a gem discovered centuries ago, knowing it originated in the legendary Golconda diamond mines of India,” said David Bennett, chairman of Sotheby’s international jewelry division and co-chair of Sotheby’s Switzerland. “This stone has witnessed 300 years of European history and in color is reminiscent of historic Golconda blue gems such as the Hope Diamond.”

The legendary diamond will be offered at Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels sale in Geneva on May 15. Its estimated value is between $3.7 million and $5.3 million.

Learn more about the historic Farnese Blue Diamond

Los Angeles--The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County is going green in a big way.

On Saturday, the museum will open a new exhibition called “Green Diamonds: Natural Radiance,” adding eight cases of the green gems to its Gem and Mineral Hall.

The loose and set diamonds come as part of the Gamma Collection, which is on loan from Optimum Diamonds LLC and was assembled over a period of about 15 years. Gamma is comprised of more than 60 of the rarest and most prestigious natural colored diamonds in the world, according to the museum.  The 0.58 carat fancy vivid green diamond shown to the right is an example of the beauty to be seen.

The collection showcases a variety of shapes, cuts and shades of the color spectrum.

The highlight of the exhibition is “The Mantis,” the largest vivid yellowish-green diamond ever graded by the Gemological Institute of America at 4.17 carats, as well as “The Shangri-La,” a large vivid green diamond weighing 3.88 carats. Both are mounted in rings.

There also is “The Light of Erasmus,” an extremely rare 1.63-carat vivid greenish-blue diamond.

In addition to seeing the diamonds, the exhibition also will give museum visitors the opportunity to learn about the formation of diamonds and scientific origins of the green color, including the gamma radiation that inspired the name of the collection.

The exhibition also will explore the unsolved mysteries behind “Chameleon” diamonds, which temporarily change color when exposed to light or heat. “Natural Radiance” will feature three of these stones, including a 3.08-carat dark gray greenish-yellow diamond.

The company will also exhibit two very rare diamonds Optimum Diamonds won at the 2017 Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender: the Argyle Everglow and the Argyle Liberté.

The collection will be on view at the museum from Dec. 9 through April 1, 2018.

Coinciding with the launch of the exhibition, the Los Angeles GIA Alumni Association is hosting its second annual “Night Among Gems” event at the museum on Wednesday, Dec. 13 from 6 to 9 p.m.

Attendees will get to see the stones as well as mingle with Associate Curator of Mineral Sciences Aaron Celestian.

Tickets can be purchased online.

A 1.01-carat vivid yellowish-green diamond

A 1.38-carat fancy vivid bluish-green diamond

 

A 0.54-carat fancy intense green-blue diamond

Learn more about green diamonds from the GIA...

via www.nationaljeweler.com

Sotheby’s sold $54 million worth of jewelry at its New York auction on Tuesday as several pieces containing rare blue diamonds and gemstones yielded higher-than-expected prices. 

An anonymous buyer spent $15.1 million, or $2.7 million per carat, on an emerald-cut, 5.69-carat, fancy vivid blue, VVS1-clarity diamond ring, beating its upper estimate of $15 million, the auctioneer said. Meanwhile, a pear-shaped, 2.05-carat, fancy intense blue, internally flawless diamond ring fetched $2.7 million, or $1.3 million per carat, in a sale to a member of the trade — well above its high estimate of $1.5 million. 

Sapphire jewelry also attracted strong prices. A Van Cleef & Arpels bracelet containing 193.73 carats of the blue stones went to a private collector for $3.1 million, having drawn an estimate of up to $1.5 million. A sapphire-and-diamond necklace-bracelet combination by Harry Winston — with seven emerald-cut sapphires weighing a combined 123.13 carats — fetched $1.9 million, beating the expected price of up to $1.5 million. 

“The market continues to show its strength in colored stones, with today’s results driven by intense competition for important colored diamonds, sapphires and emeralds in particular,” Sotheby’s jewelry-division chair Gary Schuler said.

A 110.92-carat, L-color, VS1-clarity diamond — the largest round diamond in auction history — appeared on Sotheby’s list of unsold lots. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside of New York working hours.

via www.diamonds.net

The Donnersmarck Diamonds, a pair of fancy intense yellow diamonds with aristocratic provenance is being offered as part of Sotheby’s Geneva auction of Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels November 15 at the Mandarin Oriental, Geneva.

The diamonds, formerly in the collection of the von Donnersmarck family, consist of a 102.54-carat cushion-shaped diamond and an 82.47-carat pear-shaped diamond. They are being offered as a single lot with a pre-sale estimate of $9 - $14 million.

Sotheby’s said these diamonds are attached to one of the great love stories of the 19th Century.

“These stunning diamonds carry with them a fascinating story, full of romance and determination over adversity, which could have inspired some of the greatest novels and operas, from Manon Lescaut to La Traviata,” said David Bennett, worldwide chairman of Sotheby’s International Jewelry Division.

The Donnersmarck Diamonds were part of the collection of La Païva, Countess Henckel von Donnersmarck (1819-1884), arguably the most famous of the 19th-century French courtesans, Sotheby’s said.

Born Esther Lachman, the Russian native of modest means arrived in Paris at the age of 18 and was introduced to the city’s cultural and artistic circles. She gained the friendship of many artists, including Richard Wagner, Hans von Bülow, Théophile Gautier and Emile de Girardin.

In the late 1840s, she met the Portuguese Marquis Albino Francisco de Araújo de Païva. They were married in 1851 but the marriage lasted only one day.

Now known as La Païva, It was around this time she met her future husband, German nobleman, Count Guido Henckel von Donnersmarck (1830-1916), one of Europe’s richest men. Their relationship was the talk of Paris high society and in 1871, the two were married.

Among the jewels von Donnersmarck gave to La Païva during the course of their marriage was the two yellow diamonds now known as the Donnersmarck Diamonds.

Following La Païva’s death in 1884, the count, who became prince in 1901, retained ownership of the diamonds. They remained in the Donnersmarck family for more than a century until they appeared at auction at Sotheby’s in 2007 where they sold for approximately $7.9 million. They will appear again in November after having been in a private collection for the past 10 years.

The Donnersmarck Diamonds come to the market at the same time that Sotheby’s is celebrating its 10th anniversary in sales dedicated to “noble jewels,” storied jewels of great provenance.

“Ten years ago, they were the star of the show when we launched our very first sale dedicated to Noble Jewels here in Geneva,” Bennett said. “I am delighted to mark a decade of success by presenting these exceptional diamonds once again. Jewels of royal and aristocratic provenance carry with them a special sense of history and these are no exception.”

In the same sale, Sotheby’s is offering “The Raj Pink,” the world’s largest known fancy intense pink diamond, weighing 37.30 carats with an estimate of $20 - $30 million.

Anthony DeMarco is a freelance writer and founder of Jewelry News Network. Please join me on Facebook, Twitter @JewelryNewsNet and Instagram @JewelryNewsNetwork.

via Forbes

  ALROSA has found a 34.17-carat yellow diamond which is the largest fancy-colored rough diamond extracted by the company this year.

The rough diamond, extracted from the Ebelyakh alluvial deposit, measures 20.17 х 19.65 х 15.1 mm. It is a transparent intense yellow crystal with a small inclusion in the intermediate zone, the miner said.

Before the end of October, it will be delivered to the United Selling Organization ALROSA (USO ALROSA) in Moscow, where the company specialists will give it a more detailed and accurate assessment.

"This year for ALROSA has already hit the record in the number of large fancy-colored stones," said the director of the United Selling Organization ALROSA Evgeny Agureev. "We used to extract fancy-colored rough diamonds over 10 carats once a year on average. This year, we have already recovered several large fancy-colored diamonds, and this 34.17-carat yellow stone is the largest one so far.

"The company's specialists are still to study the stone more in detail, but we can say in advance that it is fancy vivid yellow, which is very rare and highly valued. The stone will become a worthy addition to our collection of large rare-colored diamonds that we are forming and will bring to the market."

Earlier this year, ALROSA also extracted a 27.85-carat pure pink diamond - the largest pink stone in its history.

via www.idexonline.com