- Sotheby’s is set to auction off a rare D-Colour 102.39-carat flawless oval diamond.
- According to Sotheby's, it will be the second-largest oval diamond ever to be auctioned.
- It is also falls in a rare category of chemically pure diamonds.
- For more stories go to www.BusinessInsider.co.za.
Starting from 15 September, auctioneers Sotheby's will be accepting bids on one of the rarest diamonds int he world.
At 102.39 carats, the stone will join only seven flawless white diamonds over 100 carats ever sold at auction, five of which were sold by Sotheby’s.
But the D-Colour stone is not just big. It is also a Type IIa stone – a category in which only 2% of all gem diamonds fall. It is completely flawless, both internally and externally, and is one of the most chemically pure diamonds in the world.
The diamond will be offered without any reserve price.
The prices achieved by others in its league suggest the sale will be a big one, despite a drop in the price for more ordinary diamonds while the coronavirus eats away at demand.
In 2013, Sotheby’s Hong Kong auctioned a 118.28-carat oval diamond that sold for the equivalent of more than R350 million. In 2015, Sotheby’s New York auctioned a 100.20-carat emerald-cut step-cut diamond for around R370 million.
The stone is from a Canadian mine owned by De Beers, where it was recovered as a 271-carat rough in 2018.
(Additional compilation by Phillip de Wet)
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