THIS BLOG POST WAS FIRST PUBLISHED ON “ONLY NATURAL DIAMONDS”
Seven years, twenty-four cities, and more diamonds than I could ever count! Founding and growing TheDiamondsGirl has been the most extraordinary journey, and I’m thankful every single day that I get to spend my time doing something that evokes such passion and joy from within me. Diamonds – natural diamonds – are a constant source of amazement to me. To think that objects of such beauty are created deep within the earth, over millions of years, never ceases to astound me. So, to be tasked with selecting five unforgettable diamonds, is no easy matter, as each diamond is unique and special in its own way. The diamonds I’ve selected have a story behind them. It is the story, as much as the beauty of the stones, that earns them a place on my list.
1. Donnersmark Diamonds
The Donnersmarck Diamonds is a pair of extraordinary Fancy Intense Yellow diamonds with impeccable aristocratic provenance which I was fortunate enough to see and hold at Sothebys Jewels Magnificent Jewels Sale in Geneva in November 2017. The superb diamonds consist of a cushion-shaped diamond weighing 102.54 carats, and a pear-shaped diamond weighing 82.47 carats. The extraordinary diamonds make my list not only because of their size and color, but because of the romantic history behind the stones. The stones were gifted to La Païva (1819-1884), one of the most famous courtesan of the 19th century, by her much younger Prussian husband, Count Guido Henckel von Donnersmarck (1830–1916). Their relationship had been the talk of Paris, as he showered her with gems and jewels, including this incredible pair of diamonds. In 1855 they built a mansion on the Champs-Élysées with a marble staircase in a shade of yellow that was chosen to match the two diamonds! It was surreal to hold them in the palm of my hand, letting my imagination run wild as I pictured Paris in the 1800’s!
2. Graff 107.46 Carat Fancy Yellow Cushion Cut Diamond
I first saw this exceptional stone at the Graff Boutique in Bal Harbour, and had the good fortune to be able to see it up close. A few months later it crossed my path again in Bahrain, and was every bit as mesmerizing as I remembered. All diamonds over 100 carats are astonishing, but this fancy yellow catches and reflects the light in the most superb way imaginable. The 107.46 carat fancy yellow diamond is set in a brooch with ribbons of white diamonds, in a superbly crafted Graff mounting. The brooch is coming up for sale at Christie’s November 10th Magnificent Jewels Sale in Geneva, and its estimate is CHF2,350,000-3,000,000. Get your paddle ready!
3. Chopard Garden of Kalahari
Discovered in the Botswana desert, a rough diamond of 342 carats,The Queen of The Kalahari. Placed into the hands of the Chopard atelier artisans, this 342-carat diamond was cut into an extraordinary set of 23 diamonds, the Garden of Kalahari. Among these 23 diamonds, 5 are over 20ct, all are D color, with F grade flawless clarity. They represent each of the main stone shapes: cushion: cushion, brilliant, heart, emerald, and pear. I saw this exceptional set at Baselworld, where Chopard were exhibiting at the time. I had my regular appointment with Chopard, to view their latest items, but truly, all I wanted to see was this suite of diamonds! Eventually, the stones were bought to me, presented beautifully as stones of this quality deserve to be. Within moments we had a large crowd gathered around us, everyone was clamoring to see this, and the wonderful Chopard timepieces were soon forgotten as we all waited excitedly for the case to be opened! It did not disappoint. In fact, the beauty and rarity of the collection left us speechless – this was a truly unforgettable moment!
4. The Pink Promise
I am including this diamond not because it’s the biggest diamond I‘ve ever seen (although it is one of the rarest!) but because I love the romance of the history of this stone! This incredibly rare 14.93-carat Fancy Vivid VVS1 pink diamond, described by Christie’s as the “Picasso of the Pink Diamond world,” sold for an incredible $31,861,000 – approximately $2.13 million per carat. The Fancy Vivid pink diamond was originally purchased by gemologist and jeweler Stephen Silver, who is known for his keen eye for gemstones. When he bought the stone (for an undisclosed sum) in 2013, it was originally a 16.21-carat Fancy Intense pink. However, Silver believed that the stone could achieve a higher color rating if it were cut differently to allow more light through it. Silver turned to a master gem-cutter and together they spent several years planning how to cut the rare Type IIa pink diamond.
Cutting the 16.21-carat stone was risky because if they could not achieve a higher color rating, they would loose millions of dollars in lost carat weight. I love the risk that Steven was prepared to take - opting for a smaller, higher graded diamond than the larger, and still rare, original stone. The diamond was named The Pink Promise because of Steven's unwavering belief that the diamond had greater promise than was evident in it’s original form, and he was determined to reveal that promise!
5. The Art of DeGRISOGONO
Anyone who follows TheDiamondsGirl will know of my love for emerald cut diamonds. So of course, in 2017 at my own cost, I flew to the Christie’s Magnificent Jewels in Geneva specifically to view a certain rectangular-cut, D color flawless diamond of 163.41 carats
The largest flawless D color diamond ever to come to auction, to say that the beauty of this diamond left me speechless would be an understatement. Its clarity, purity and beauty were mesmerizing. Of course, the piece set a world auction record at its selling price of $33,705,994. At the time of the auction, I was conflicted about sharing my love for this stone with the world, as controversy about de GRISOGONO’s ownership was emerging. In the end, I opted to share posts on it, as I felt rightly or wrongly, its rarity needed to be seen and appreciated by all.
A few years later, for various reasons including a leadership changeover, de GRISOGONO closed their doors.
It was the end of an era.
Those of us who had previously met the de GRISOGONO’s founder, Fawaz Grousi are left with memoirs of his extreme creativity and boldness regarding high jewelry. I believe is it these qualities that are perfectly portrayed in this single, unique piece.
