32.77 Carat Vivid Fancy Yellow Diamond

Christie’s New York will host a jewellery and gem auction in October, headed by a 32.77 carat vivid fancy yellow diamond estimated to sell for more than $6 million (£3.6 million).

The Vivid Yellow, as it has been named, is a rare highly saturated fancy vivid yellow diamond of 32.77 carats, as the star lot of the October 18 sale called Magnificent Jewels.The yellow hue of this large pear-shaped diamond is so intense that the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) ranks it amongst the rarest of gemstones in its class. The stone is expected to achieve in excess of US$6 million, and could sell for as much as $8 million (£4.8 million).

Rahul Kadakia, head of jewellery for Christie’s America said: “The Vivid Yellow literally blazes with color, unlike any yellow diamond I’ve ever seen.

“In the world of diamonds, a naturally coloured stone of this incredible colour and size represents a freak occurrence -- an extremely rare geological phenomenon. The appearance of this extraordinary gemstone on the market truly represents a once in a lifetime opportunity for top jewellery collectors.”

In its grading report for the stone, the GIA classifies The Vivid Yellow as fancy vivid – the highest saturation one can find in a coloured diamond. Only about one in 10 million diamonds possesses a colour pure enough to qualify as fancy vivid.

The unmounted diamond, which is about the size and shape of a guitar pick, will be the star lot of Christie’s first major jewellery sale of the autumn auction season, to take place October 18.

The stone has the potential to surpass the per-carat price of US$203,000 (£124,000) achieved for The Golden Drop, a pear-shaped yellow diamond of 18.49 carats sold in June 1990 at Christie’s London. Christie’s has arranged a global preview tour of The Vivid Yellow diamond prior to its sale at Christie’s New York in October. The diamond will be on view at Christie’s London on August 30 and 31.

Courtesy of the professional jeweler