A yellow diamond for the Red Cross. In times marked by wars and casualties, support for organizations involved in victim assistance becomes essential: this is why Christie’s announces the sale on 11 May in Geneva of a huge cushion-shaped intense fancy yellow diamond of 205.07 carats. The assessment was not disclosed. Part of the proceeds from the sale will go to the International Committee of the Red Cross.
This is the third time in over a century that Christie’s has presented this large canary yellow diamond of 205.07 carats. It’s a very special bond and a huge honor. Part of the proceeds from the sale will benefit the International Committee of the Red Cross, for a cause that is even more touching in the midst of current affairs.
François Curiel, president of Christie’s Europe and Head of the Luxury Department
The history of the diamond is interesting: the original gem was mined in 1901 in a South African mine in De Beers and is said to have weighed around 375 carats. In addition to ranking among the largest diamonds in the world, a striking feature of the stone is its pavilion, which is faceted in the shape of a Maltese cross. On April 10, 1918, the stone was first put on sale at Christie’s London by the Diamond Syndicate again in aid of the British Red Cross Society and the Order of St John. At the time the entire sale had raised £ 50,000 (equivalent to around 3 million today) and The Red Cross Diamond, the highest lot in the auction, had been sold for £ 10,000 (around 600,000 today), which was bought by the famous London company SJ Phillips. It should be added that colored diamonds were not as popular at the time as they are today.
On November 21, 1973, the same diamond was put up for sale once again at Christie’s in Geneva, this time reaching 1.8 million francs and returning to private ownership. It is now being offered for the third time by Christie’s in 104 years, and will presumably fetch a significantly higher price.
