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De Beers and the Steinmetz Group have unveiled the world's rarest
and arguably the most valuable set of diamonds ever put together to
mark the year 2000. Stressing that "millennia come and go, but
diamonds are forever," the diamond giant's Chairman Nicky Oppenheimer
presented the De Beers Millennium Star and 11 blue diamonds.
Millenium Star
The Millenium Star Diamond is a D-color, internally and
externally flawless pear-shape, cut to perfect proportions,
weighing a hefty 203.04 carats. It took the team of cutters,
headed by Israeli-born Nir Livnat, three years to polish it.
DeBeers usually brands their diamonds, however the Millennium
Star will not be branded, as "it is externally flawless.
There is not even a single scratch or burn mark on any
of the facets. This is extremely exceptional - and a tribute
to the cutters' expertise - and De Beers is therefore rightfully
presenting the stone as externally flawless." states Livnat.
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Nicky Oppenheimer, DeBeers Chairman, was careful not to put a value on the
Millennium Star, saying that any figure he would give would
be purely academic. However, he did insure the Star for 100
million pounds, but this is believed to be a fraction of its
true worth. The previous record price paid for any
polished diamond was $16.5 million for a 100.10 carat
stone, the Star of the Seasons, that was auctioned by
Sotheby's in 1995, thus selling for about $165,000
per carat. |
Blue Diamonds
The Millenium collection also consists of 11 beautiful blue diamonds
of different shapes and carat weights, ranging in size from 5.16
carats to a phenomenal 27.64 carat heart-shaped stone, the
Heart of Eternity. Blue Diamonds of this quality and size
are extremely rare and to discover one on any year is an
incredible accomplishment, let alone discovering the
entire collection.
Pre-20th century accounts of great blue diamonds reinforce
the trade's historical links with India, the only known early
source of diamonds. These accounts tell of diamonds such as
Tavernier Blue (now know as the Hope) and the Blue Heart, which
today are valued for their history and mystique as much as for their
rare color, only red diamonds are rarer. In modern times, the De Beers
Premier mine in South Africa has become the only important source of
blue diamonds, yet they make up much less than 0.1 percent of all
diamonds recovered at this mine. Whatever term is used to describe
blue diamonds, it is their combination of color, brilliance
and rarity that makes them so special. Of the ten highest per-carat
prices paid for colored diamonds at auction, six have been blue diamonds.
Some of these unique stones were sold for $550,000-$580,000 per carat.
One 20 carat blue stone fetched well in excess of $10 million.
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