Kimberley Sunshine Diamond Sells for $475,000, Nearly Doubling High Estimate at Heritage
The 22.09-carat Kimberley Sunshine Diamond has sold for $475,000 at Heritage Auctions, nearly doubling its high pre-auction estimate and leading the company’s $7.7 million Fall Fine Jewelry Signature Auction. The fancy yellow diamond was the headline lot in Heritage’s September 28 sale, which realized a total of $7,707,260 and drew 1,610 bidders from around the world. The Kimberley Sunshine Diamond is graded Internally Flawless and has documented origins at South Africa’s historic Kimberley Mine. The stone is mounted in hand-forged 18-karat yellow gold talon claws on a platinum band set with graduating rows of French- and carré-cut diamonds.
As CollectiblesNews.com reported ahead of the auction, the 22.09-carat ring entered the sale as one of Heritage’s most closely watched pieces. Its final $475,000 price wound up far above expectations, with Heritage Executive Director of Fine Jewelry Jill Burgum saying the result reflected the combination of the diamond’s size, natural color, Internally Flawless clarity, documented origin and craftsmanship.
The Kimberley Sunshine Diamond was not the only large stone to attract serious bidding. An 8.17-carat emerald-cut diamond in a platinum solitaire ring sold for $275,000, while a necklace centered by a 22.06-carat round brilliant-cut diamond realized $212,500. An Oscar Heyman ring featuring a 14.11-carat fancy yellow diamond reached $175,000, and a Carvin French platinum ring set with a 7.02-carat oval diamond brought $112,500.
Colored diamonds performed strongly deeper into the sale as well. A 7.41-carat fancy yellow diamond ring sold for $93,750, while a Tiffany & Co. ring centered by a 5.76-carat fancy yellow diamond brought $65,625. Heritage also reported strong interest in signed jewelry, including a David Webb necklace set with 47.79 total carats of diamonds that sold for $75,000 and a Van Cleef & Arpels “Bal du Siècle” watch that realized $62,500.
Antique and period jewelry produced some of the auction’s more unexpected results. A circa 1925 Cartier Art Deco watch featuring jadeite jade, black onyx, enamel and diamonds sold for $93,750, while a circa 1870 Vatican City Workshop Victorian micromosaic necklace brought $21,250. Heritage said bidding remained active across a wide range of categories throughout the sale.
But the Kimberley Sunshine Diamond remained the clear centerpiece. With its Kimberley Mine provenance, 22.09-carat weight and Internally Flawless clarity, the ring turned its position as the auction’s pre-sale headliner into the event’s top result at $475,000.