Yellow Diamond Fetches Record Price at Diamond Auction

It’s yellow, pear-shaped, originates from South Africa, weighs 110.3 carats and was just bought at auction for a cool US$10.2 million.

It’s called the Sun-Drop Diamond and was the headline act at the recent Sotheby’s diamond and gem auction in Switzerland.  The successful bidder, who participated by phone, ended up paying over US$12 million for the diamond including commission.  That’s a new record price for a yellow diamond at auction.

The diamond, discovered last year in South Africa, was rated by gemologists as a fancy, vivid yellow – the highest grade possible on the diamond colour scale.  Yellow diamonds are created when nitrogen impurities trapped within carbon molecules harden over millions of years. Continue reading →