【Democratic R】The History and Price of the World’s Largest Diamond to be Auctioned in December

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Editor’s Note

This article recounts the remarkable discovery of the “Golden Canary,” a 300-carat yellow diamond unearthed by chance in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its journey from a pile of rubble to a Sotheby’s auction block underscores the unpredictable nature of treasure and the enduring allure of rare gems.

No hay reserva y las ofertas comenzarán en un dólar.
A Diamond Found in Rubble

Named the Golden Canary due to its intense yellow color, the world’s largest diamond is 300 carats, pear-shaped, and has a very particular history. It began being exhibited this week at Sotheby’s Dubai and will be auctioned in December for a very high sum.

It was discovered in a pile of rubble by a girl playing in her uncle’s garden in the 1980s in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The land was near a diamond mine but had not been considered due to the belief that there were no deposits there. The rough diamond weighed 890 carats and is one of the largest ever discovered.

Years of Cutting and a New Name

It took almost five years to cut it into 15 separate stones, the largest of which weighed 407.5 carats and was named the Incomparable Diamond. The Incomparable Diamond became the largest flawless or internally flawless diamond ever graded by the Gemological Institute of America and was exhibited in various shows.

Yellow diamonds constitute only 0.006% of all diamonds mined, and of these, only a small percentage will have internal flaws.

Recently, however, the owner made the bold decision to recut the jewel to enhance its color and vitality and renamed it the Golden Canary, reported The National News.

Expert Commentary on the Recut
“Obviously, it is still internally flawless, but now we have this brighter, truly golden color. The outline is much more beautiful and the color is deeper. And these days, we are very lucky that we don’t just have to rely on human experience, we have this fantastic computer technology that can really look inside the stone and tell us the best way to cut it so those brilliant qualities emerge,” said Sophie Stevens, Sotheby’s Dubai jewelry specialist director.
Auction Details and Expectations

Finally, the diamond will be auctioned in New York on December 7 during Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels sale. The Golden Canary stone is currently on display at the Sotheby’s Dubai gallery in DIFC but leaves tomorrow for a tour. It will stop in Taipei, Geneva, and Hong Kong before ending in New York.

There is no reserve and bids will start at one dollar, but the diamond is expected to reach at least 15 million. The decision to offer the diamond without a reserve price is very deliberate, said Sophie, as it excites people and creates fiercely competitive bids. She added that at a time when the world seems “a bit unstable in several areas,” people will look for tangible assets, like diamonds, so she expects the jewel to be very popular among buyers.

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⏰ Published on: October 19, 2022