Christie's to Sell the Red Cross Diamond (It's Yellow)

)IDEX Online) - One of the world's largest yellow diamonds - weighing 205.7-ct and known as the Red Cross Diamond - is to be auctioned by Christie's London.

The fancy intense yellow, cushion-shaped stone (pictured) has a pavilion distinctively faceted in the shape of a Maltese cross.

The original rough gem was recovered by De Beers, in South Africa, in 1901 and was sold in   1918 in aid of the British Red Cross Society and the Order of St John.

It raised $13,000 - equivalent to $780,000 in today's money - when it was sold at Christie's London to the famous London firm S.J. Phillips.

It was sold again in November 1973, achieving CHF 1.8 million at Christie's Geneva and returned to private ownership.

The diamond will again be offered for sale at Christie's London on 11 May, with an undisclosed part of the sale revenue to be donated to the International Committee of the Red Cross.

We have asked Christie's for the estimate, which is available "on request".