The largest white diamond ever auctioned will be offered next Wednesday in Geneva. The price of the gemstone, whose owner is from North America but remains anonymous, might reach record highs.
At 228.31 carats, “The Rock” “is the largest white diamond ever offered at auction. It is a truly exceptional pear-shaped diamond,” Max Fawcett, head of Christie’s jewelry department, said on Friday. in Geneva.
“It is perfectly symmetrical. It is estimated between 20 and 30 million dollars, and I expect an explosion in bidding,” he said. According to the expert, there are only a “handful” of such diamonds.
“The Rock”, whose height exceeds that of a golf ball, had been extracted from a mine in South Africa in the early 2000s. It was then sold by Christie’s as part of a sale of over-the-counter from a private collector.
A canary yellow diamond in favor of the ICRC
The canary yellow “Red Cross” diamond. [Salvatore Di Nolfi – Keystone]Bidders will also be able to try to acquire “The Red Cross Diamond”, a 205.07 carat cushion-shaped canary yellow diamond on Wednesday. “It is estimated between 7 and 10 million francs. I expect it to achieve fantastic results when it is sold. A large part of the proceeds from its sale will be donated to the International Committee of the Red Cross”, pointed out Max Fawcett.
The original gem was mined in 1901 at a De Beers company’s South African mine and is said to have weighed around 375 carats, according to Christie’s. As well as ranking among the largest diamonds in the world, a striking feature of the stone is its pavilion, which is naturally faceted in the shape of a Maltese cross.
The seller wished to remain anonymous but released this statement: “For nearly half a century our family has had the privilege of keeping the Red Cross Diamond. (…) At this auspicious moment in history , we honor the call that others have made before us”.
ats / oang
