It's exceedingly rare to see a stone like this up for auction so I had to put up a post. This amazing 35.56 blue-gray diamond will debut at auction at Christie's London on December 10. Quite a holiday gift for someone, right? Not only is the diamond incredibly high quality, but it also has a remarkable historical provenance.
Here's the story:
The diamond was presented by King Philip IV of Spain to his daughter, Infanta Margarita Teresa, as part of her dowry when she turned 13. Who was the lucky man she was to marry? It was actually her uncle Leopold I of Austria, who later became the Holy Roman Emperor. Infanta was earlier immortalized as the central figure in Las Meninas (1656, below), the most famous painting by Spaniard Diego Velázquez.
This means that the diamond has a 300-year-old royal history, a detail that makes the £10 million high estimate even more interesting. To read the full story in the London Telegraph, click right here.
Colored diamonds have become popular choices for engagement rings in the last couple of years. Here are two great examples listed right now for auction on Portero:
GIA Certified 1.09 ctw Fancy Brown-Greenish Yellow Diamond Engagement Ring sz 6.5
GIA Certified Platinum 18k Gold Yellow Diamond 3-Stone Engagement Ring sz 6
Image courtesy Christie's
