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A rare unmounted modified pear brilliant-cut diamond, weighing 17.82 carats. Est. $1,000,000-1,500,000. Photo: Courtesy of Bonhams.
NEW YORK, NY.- Bonhams Fine Jewelry auction on December 9 will feature a rare, unmounted modified pear cut diamond, weighing 17.82 carats, and estimated to fetch between $1-1.5 million.
As a type IIa diamond, the breathtaking stone is not only beautiful, it is also scientifically extraordinary.
Scientists classify diamonds into two types, based on the presence or absence of nitrogen in the diamond's atomic structure. Type II diamonds contain little - if any - nitrogen, and make up less than 2% of the world's diamonds.
Type IIa diamonds, such as the one on offer, are considered the most chemically pure of all diamonds, and often have exceptional optical transparency.
"This diamond comes to us from a private collection and has a limpid, watery quality that is very important to true connoisseurs," explained Susan Abeles, Bonhams Head of US Jewelry.
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