Christie’s to Auction 101.73-Carat D-Color, Flawless Diamond

By Erika Winters

Christie’s will auction a 101.73-carat D-color, flawless-clarity diamond in Geneva on May 15. The extraordinary diamond, dubbed “Absolute Perfection,” is both the largest D-color, flawless diamond to be offered at auction and one of the largest pear-shaped diamonds to date.

“Just as a great artist is able to ‘see’ a masterpiece in a block of marble, a perfect diamond is the result of the skill and vision of a master cutter who is able to uncover beauty from a rough gem,” said Rahul Kadakia, Head of Jewellery for Christie’s Switzerland and Americas. “On 15 May, Christie’s Geneva will offer for sale this wonderful pear-shaped diamond of 101.73 carats, which has literally been sculpted like a work of art. This diamond is in its scale, quality, and rarity is one of the most beautiful ‘white’ diamonds Christie’s has ever had the honour of offering for sale.”

The original rough diamond weighed a whopping 236 carats and was found in Botswana at the Jwaneng mine. It took 21 months to polish the diamond into a 101.73-carat pear shape.

The diamond was graded D-color, flawless clarity and classified as Type IIa by the Gemological Institute of America. Type IIa diamonds represent less than 2% of world diamond production and are essentially chemically pure.

“Absolute Perfection” will join other remarkable colorless diamonds sold by Christie’s, including the 76.02-carat Archduke Joseph Diamond. The historical diamond sold for $21.5 million in November 2012, a world-record price for a colorless diamond.

101.73-Carat D-Color, Flawless Diamond, Christie's Geneva May 15 Auction

The “Absolute Perfection,” a D-color, flawless-clarity diamond, will be auctioned at Christie’s Geneva on May 15.

236-carat rough diamond on the polishing wheel, Christie's Geneva

From rough to polished: The original rough diamond, found at the Jwaneng mine in Botswana, weighed a whopping 236 carats. The stone took 21 months to polish and was finally cut into a pear shape weighing 101.73 carats.