Will The Sun Drop Diamond Become The Largest Yellow Diamond Ring?
The recent sale by Sotheby’s in Geneva of the large yellow diamond known as the Sun Drop diamond for £10.9 million was the highest ever paid for a yellow diamond. So will this rare diamond go on to become someone lucky woman’s yellow diamond engagement ring? Or diamond pendant, maybe? Or will it belong to some collector who never allows it to see the light of day? The sale was done at Sotheby’s offices in Hotel Beau Rivage in Geneva. It is situated on Leman Lake and the Sotheby’s office has been remarkable in that there have been many prestigious sales that have taken place ever since it opened its offices in 1976. They are proud to say that they have buyers from thirty-five countries in touch with them.
The diamond was bought by an anonymous buyer who bid over the phone – and what a huge sum he bid for it. The rare yellow diamond was mined last year in South Africa and it was sold by Cora International which is based in New York. It has been certified as possessing the colour ‘fancy vivid yellow’ and it is very rare to find one that has such a gorgeous, clear yellow hue. The diamond weighs 110.03 carats.
Yellow diamonds are formed thanks to small amounts of nitrogen getting trapped inside the molecules of carbon and then hardening over years – maybe millions of years. Diamonds in their purest form are colourless and transparent but when there are traces of other minerals or gases, they impart a colour to the diamond and when this is rare, it makes the diamond very expensive.