NEW YORK, NY.- An extraordinary type IIa diamond sold for $2,629,000 at Bonhams Fine Jewelry sale on December 9, the pinnacle of the day's two jewelry sales which achieved $8,912,188 in total.
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The unmounted stone weighed 17.82 carats and was a modified pear brilliant-cut. Consigned from a private collection, the diamond more than doubled its pre-sale estimate after a lengthy bidding war.
"Less than 2% of the world's diamonds are type IIa, meaning they contain little - if any - nitrogen. They are considered the most chemically pure of all diamonds, and are renowned for their limpid appearance. This particular diamond was almost like a droplet from a sparkling waterfall," explained Susan Abeles, Bonhams Head of US Jewelry, and Virginia Salem, the Director of the Jewelry Department in New York. "It was a pleasure to offer the diamond after decades in a private collection."
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