schmitt jewelers

By JCK Staff

The Sun Drop Diamond (Photo courtesy of Sotheby’s)

A 110.03 ct. pear-shaped fancy vivid yellow diamond known as the Sun-Drop Diamond is expected to rake in $11 million to $15 million at Sotheby’s Nov. 15. auction in Geneva.

The diamond ranks as the largest known pear-shaped fancy vivid yellow diamond in the world, and has a purity of VVS1. It was exhibited earlier this year at London’s Natural History Museum. The rough was discovered in South Africa in 2010, and was cut and polished by Cora International.

“This stone has immense presence and is truly stunning,” said David Bennett, chairman of Sotheby’s jewelry department in Europe and the Middle East and co-chairman of Sotheby’s Switzerland, in a statement.

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UPDATE:

A much-talked-about 110.03 ct. fancy vivid yellow diamond called the Sun-Drop sold to an anonymous buyer for $12.4 million (11.3 million Swiss Francs) at Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels Auction in Geneva on Nov. 15, setting a world record price for a yellow stone.

Strikingly, the previous record for a yellow stone was set just last month by the Vivid Yellow, a pear‐shape fancy vivid 32.77 ct. yellow diamond that sold for $6.5 million at Christie’s in October.

The VVS1-clarity Sun-Drop, cut and polished by Cora International, was exhibited earlier this year at London’s National History Museum and ranks as the largest known pear-shape fancy vivid yellow diamond in the world. (Fancy vivid yellow is the highest color grade for a yellow issued by the GIA.) The rough was discovered in South Africa in 2010.

“We are thrilled with the price achieved by this spectacular daffodil yellow diamond; it is one of the most impressive I have had the pleasure of selling,” said David Bennett, chairman of Sotheby’s jewelry department in Europe and the Middle East and co‐chairman of Sotheby’s Switzerland, in a statement. “The Sun-Drop Diamond has immense presence and is truly stunning.… Today’s strong sell‐through rates are a reflection of the continued strength and resilience of the international jewelry market.”

And that wasn’t the only record set at the Geneva auction: A very fine 12.01 ct. Muzo emerald ring sold for $1.4 million—a world record price per carat for an emerald—more than doubling its estimate. That buyer was also anonymous.

Other auction highlights:

• A rare cushion-shape 38.88 ct. diamond sold for $6.9 million.
• A fancy vivid blue 4.16 ct. diamond ring sold for $4.2 million to an anonymous buyer.
• A natural pearl and diamond necklace from Cartier in the 1930s sold for $3 million.