$5.5m Yellow Diamond Beats Estimate
December 06, 23
(IDEX Online) - A huge 133.03 carat fancy vivid yellow diamond sold yesterday (5 December) for $5.5m, above its pre-sale estimate of $4m to $5m, at Sotheby's New York.
The gem, described as coming from "an important private collection", led the Hollywood-themed live Magnificent Jewels auction.
The VS2 cushion modified brilliant-cut gem sold for $36,083 per carat. In its pre-sale analysis the Fancy Color Research Foundation (FCRF) gave it a total visual score of 6 out of 12.
"Its prominent and tall crown, coupled with the concentration of most of its color under the table area, could suggest that this diamond was recut from an old-mine cut diamond," it said.
"The intensity of its color is on the lower end, bordering on the intense grade."
The sale also featured items from the collections of Mary Tyler Moore, Frank and Barbara Sinatra, Red Skelton and Tony Randall, with many pieces by Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier, Harry Winston and David Webb.
A negligee design necklace sold for $4.4m. It featured a pair of pear-shaped diamonds weighing 28.45 and 28.21 carats, suspended from two rows of similarly cut diamonds weighing a total of 120.20 carats.