An Orange Diamond That Sold For 36 Million ~ I Did Not Know Diamonds Exist In So Many Colors
Beautiful To See All The Colors Reflected By Diamonds ~
A Rare Orange Diamond Sold For $36 Million In Geneva At Christie's International ~
In the "window-shopping" category (for me anyway), I saw an article about a very, very rare orange diamond that sold at Christie's International auction in Geneva in November, 2013. This diamond is known as a fancy-vivid orange diamond, and is believed to be the largest flawless diamond of this type ever found.
This particular diamond was found in South Africa. Orange diamonds are sometimes known as "fire diamonds" because of their brilliant orange color. This diamond was said to be of such high quality that there are no other diamonds in existence like it. Orange diamonds get this unique color because of the appearance of nitrogen when they are created. It is thought that this may be the type of diamond only seen one time in a person's lifetime.
Since this orange diamond weighs over 14.8 carats, the price that it sold for at the auction reflects a per carat price of about $2.4 million. This price is a record price for any type of colored diamond. In addition, the buyer paid over $4.4 million in taxes. The man who bought the diamond remained anonymous. He left the room as soon as the auction was finished, to spontaneous applause from those attending.
This pear shaped diamond is absolutely gorgeous. What I didn't realize is how many different colors it is possible for diamonds to be found in. Buying a diamond of this exceptional quality was compared to buying exquisite artwork by famous artists like Van Gogh or Picasso.
Whenever I usually think of a diamond, I think of clear diamonds like those used traditionally for wedding rings. Those diamonds are usually clear in color and they reflect an array of colors, depending on the light they are exposed to.
There are often blue, pink and white diamonds at these high profile auctions, but it is very rare for an orange diamond to be up for auction, especially one this size. The last time a large orange diamond was up for sale was back in 1997. That diamond, however, was only about 5.5 carats in size, and sold for $1.3 million. It was known as "The Pumpkin Diamond."
Coming in second in high sale amounts at auctions are usually pink diamonds. A diamond with an "intense pink stone" sold several years ago for 45.4 francs, or over $49 million dollars and weighed over 24.5 carats. That diamond was sold in 2010 at Sotheby's in Geneva.
Clear Diamonds Are Most Often Found In Wedding Rings~
Marilyn Monroe ~ Diamonds Are A Girls Best Friend
Colors Diamonds Have Been Found In And How They Get Their Color ~
Diamonds that are found naturally in different colors are usually a result of impurities in the stones. For example, if nitrogen is introduced into the diamond material, the result is often brown or yellow diamonds. If Boron is present, the diamond will normally be a blue color. When irradiation appears, usually because of alpha specks and fragments, the diamond will take on a green hue.
Likewise, nitrogen can cause a yellow hue in diamonds which varies according to how much nitrogen was present. If a diamond has a pale yellow look, it can still fall within the normal color range for diamonds. Diamonds that are a totally different color, like green or blue, are called fancy colored diamonds. These colored diamonds are always graded differently than clear diamonds.
Diamonds in the order of how rare they are begin with yellow diamonds. Next is brown and then colorless diamonds. After that is blue, green and black. The rarest diamond colors are pink, orange, purple and dark red.
Black diamonds, while they are called black, are often a blending of dark colors that give them that special black appearance. Even though they are considered to be black, they can actually consist of many unique mixtures of color.
Rare colorful diamonds continue to be the chosen purchases of those wealthy enough to afford them. For average people, however, the types of diamonds bought will most likely continue to be those sold by jewelry shops all over the world. They will also probably be the featured stone in wedding rings, a symbol of everlasting love. As Marilyn Monroe sang "A kiss on the hand maybe quite continental, but diamond's are a girl's best friend." I think she had something there. She was an amazing singer and personality, another one lost at an age that was far too young.
Some Lucky Person Will Get To Own A Replica Of The Famous Orange Diamond ~
In an interesting side note, a jeweler in Las Vegas, Nevada has created a replica of the famous orange diamond that was sold at the Christie's auction. He has placed his creative gem, a man made orange stone, into a necklace that he has on display in his jewelry shop.
At the end of November of 2013, the necklace will be auctioned off, with proceeds to benefit an organization called Keep Memory Alive, which is also a part of the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, here in Las Vegas.