Sotheby’s Geneva is set to auction the 100.09-carat Graff Vivid Yellow, one of the largest fancy vivid yellow diamonds in the world. Boasting a “sensational daffodil yellow” color and described as “exceptionally beautiful with extraordinary fire and brilliance,” the gemis estimated to fetch $15 million to $20 million.
Also on the auction block May 13 will be a Graff 103.46-carat diamond ring featuring one of the world’s largest known round brilliant diamonds. It is expected to fetch $3.5 million to $5 million.
Previously known as the Dream Diamond, the Graff Vivid Yellow was a captivating 190-carat ɾօυɢҺ stone when it was originally purchased by Graff in Kimberley, South Africa. When he first saw the diamond crystal, he stated, “It was an intense golden yellow and one of the rarest yellow diamonds I had ever seen. I knew the polished stone within would be more than exceptional.”
The Dream Diamond was then sent to the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) to certify its natural authenticity. For the next nine months, New York master cutter Nino Bianco transformed the stone. The brilliant, 100.09-carat polished cushion-cut diamond was renamed the Graff Vivid Yellow and was unveiled as the world’s largest yellow diamond. It made its public debut at Kensington Palace in London.
Graff is a high-profileconnoisseur and collector of fine colored diamonds. In fact, Sotheby’s Geneva set an auction recordin2010 when the Graff Pink Diamond was sold for a staggering $46.2 million. The exceptionally rare 24.78-carat emerald-cut pink diamond once owned by Harry Winston features rounded corners and a mesmerizing deep pink hue. It is set on a platinum ring flanked by shield-shaped diamonds. “It is the most fabulous diamond I’ve seen in my career,” Graff said.
