Yellow Diamonds, symbols of joy and sunshine, are at their peak.
Fancy colored diamonds make up less than 1% of all mined diamonds. Among them the yellow ones are the most famous and best-selling.
It was nitrogen that differentiated colorless diamonds from their yellow siblings billions of years ago. Yellow diamond color chart begins on the end of the GIA white diamond color scale and, becoming more and more bright, continues into the Fancy shades. Several Fancy grades from Fancy Light to Fancy Vivid are the most prized and sought-after. The perfect combination of color and saturation makes a yellow diamond a real treasure.
Discover the world’s most spectacular, expensive and impressive Yellow Diamonds – and get inspired!
The Tiffany Yellow
If there was a nomination for “the most Hollywood diamond”, this one would definitely win it. It was discovered in 1877 in South Africa and acquired by Charles Lewis Tiffany himself. Originally weighing 287.42 ct, today the Tiffany Yellow weighs 128.54 ct, has “unprecedented” 82 facets in a cushion shape and boasts canary yellow color. This gem was worn only by four stunning women: socialite Mrs. E. Sheldon Whitehouse, Audrey Hepburn, Lady Gaga and Beyoncé.
The Sun of Africa
The most mysterious diamond ever. It was discovered relatively recently, in 2007 at South Africa’s Kimberley mines. Originally weighing 127 ct, it was transported to the Netherlands where it was cut and polished.
The rest of the diamond’s history is vague. While the GIA graded the stone as Fancy Vivid – the most precious variety of yellow diamonds, its measurements and exact weight remain unidentified, making this stone a real mystery.
However, the riddles do not end there.
The Florentine
Another mysterious diamond is the Florentine. Currently nobody knows about its whereabouts.
This 137.27 ct double rose-cut light yellow diamond was known as the Tuscany Diamond, the Grand Duke of Tuscany and the Austrian Yellow Diamond at the same time. Do not ask how it happened. The stone regularly changed owners, was lost and was found again. Today, many jewelers believe that it was re-cut into a smaller 80 ct stone.
The Cora Sun Drop
Another sunny stone – the Cora Sun Drop – set the world record as the most expensive yellow diamond ever sold at auction. In November 2011 this 110.3 ct gem was sold for $10.9 million to an anonymous telephone bidder.
Found in South Africa in 2010, this diamond is the largest known pear-shaped Fancy Vivid Yellow diamond in the world. One more record!
the Incomparable
Just imagine: this gem weighed 890 ct in its rough state!
The Incomparable diamond was found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo by a young girl playing in wreckage outside her home. How lucky she was! Her family sold the finding to a jeweler and it later fell into the hands of Donald Zale of Zale Corporation. After the process of cutting and polishing, it emerged as a 407.78 ct trilliant cut stone.
Today it holds the record for the largest internally flawless diamond – and third largest diamond in the world.
The Oppenheimer
Discovered in 1964, this gemstone is one of the largest uncut diamonds in the world. It weighs 253.7 ct and looks like a perfect yellow diamond crystal. Initially it was named after its owner, Harry Winston, but he donated the stone to the Smithsonian Institution in memory of Sir Ernest Oppenheimer.
The Red Cross
The Red Cross diamond is one of the world’s largest diamonds. This 205 ct canary yellow gemstone of a cushion shape has a pavilion design that forms a Maltese cross. It is believed to be discovered by De Beers in South Africa in 1901 – and have originally weighted about 375 ct.
Subscribe to discover the world of diamonds and gems. If you have any questions, please let us know.