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102-Carat White Diamond Is ‘Rarest and Most Valuable’ Ever, Sotheby’s Says

Published

6 years ago

February 9, 2018

INSTORE Staff

It’s being offered for private sale.

LONDON – Sotheby’s Diamonds is unveiling a 102.34-carat white diamond that it says is “the only known round brilliant-cut diamond over 100 carats perfect according to every critical criterion.”

It’s a flawless D-color diamond of Type IIa, according to a Sotheby’s press release.bThe stone is available for private purchase through Sotheby’s Diamonds and was on view to the public in Sotheby’s New Bond Street Galleries on Feb. 8 and 9. INSTORE SothebysDiamond

This stone is “the only known round brilliant-cut diamond over 100 carats perfect according to every critical criterion.”

“In the course of my long career, which has brought me close to some of the greatest stones the earth has ever yielded, I have not encountered anything quite like this,” said Patti Wong, founder and chairman of Sotheby’s Diamonds. “With its outstanding weight, its perfect color, clarity and cut, it is a masterpiece of nature brought to life by human hand, blazing with a brilliant firework-like display of almost every color on the spectrum – mesmerizing to behold. It is a huge privilege to mark the first anniversary of our London salon with the exhibition of such a superlative stone.”

The 425-carat rough stone that yielded the Sotheby’s diamond was mined by De Beers in Bostwana. It was cut and polished by Diacore in Johannesburg and New York.

Sotheby’s notes that when it comes to stones of significant size, it is rare to find a round brilliant-cut stone, as the cutter will generally try to keep the maximum of weight from the rough. Elongated cushions, emerald-cuts and pear-shapes are more common for large diamonds.

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