An Exceptional Diamond Ring (10.59 carats)
Estimate: HK$5,500,000 - 6,500,000 (US$700,000-830,000)
Lot 665, Jewels & Jadeite, June 5.
The word “diamond” derives from the Greek adamas, which means “unconquerable.” Fewer gemstones generate as much awe for their clarity, tenacity and brilliance.
Perhaps the most exceptional diamonds are those classified as Type IIa, which means they display an exceptional optical transparency. They’re the most chemically pure diamonds, almost, if not entirely, devoid of nitrogen impurities in the crystal structure.
These diamonds are the rarest of all, accounting for fewer than 2% of natural diamonds, with historical icons such as the Koh-i-noor, the Regent and the Cullinan all sharing these Type IIa characteristics.
Diamonds with no unique birthmarks are exceptionally rare. These birthmarks — whether internal or external — take the form of inclusions and blemishes, and any diamond that is free of either are graded as either flawless or internally flawless. They account for only small amount of polished diamonds.
An Exceptional Diamond Ring (10.59 carats)
Estimate: HK$5,500,000 - 6,500,000 (US$700,000-830,000)
Lot 665, Jewels & Jadeite, June 5.
This season, Phillips is offering a selection of D-Flawless diamonds of the finest color, the highest clarity and the best cut and polish, as conferred by the industry-standard GIA.
Leading the collection is a rare 10.59-carat Asscher-cut D-Flawless diamond. The stone was cut and polished from a 30.80-carat rough diamond from Lesotho’s Letšeng mine, the birthplace of some of the largest and highest-quality colorless diamonds in the world.
The Letšeng mine in Lesotho.
The mine, located at a challenging 3,100 meters above sea level in the Maluti Mountains of Lesotho, is the world’s highest diamond mine. Famed for yielding large rough diamonds of exceptional quality, 25% of Letšeng stones are of the chemically-pure Type IIa pedigree, compared to a global average of just 1% to 2%.
A Pair of Diamond Ear Studs (3.05 and 3.13 carats)
Estimate: HK$1,100,000 - 2,100,000 (US$140,000-270,000)
Lot 662，Jewels & Jadeite, June 5.
This season’s selection also includes a pair of dazzling diamond ear studs, with Type IIa diamonds of 3.05 carats and 3.13 carats; and a diamond ring with an 8.06-carat stone.
An Important Diamond Ring (8.06 carats)
Estimate: HK$3,500,000 - 4,500,000 (US$450,000-580,000)
Lot 664, Jewels & Jadeite, June 5.
These natural wonders, each possessing the finest color and purist clarity, are exceptional in their own right — and the ultimate prize for any discerning individual seeking to acquire the best of the best.