The yellow diamond is becoming more
popular each year, attracting elegant,
sophisticated and galmorous women
from different walks of life.
Origin
Light to vivid yellow diamonds are found in different
countries, but the notably large and intense yellows
have been discovered primarily in South Africa. These
include the largest known canary diamond, the Red Cross,
which was once presented to Christies on behalf of the British Red Cross
Society. A rare feature of this stone is that a Maltese Cross is clearly
visible in its top facet. Another famous yellow diamond discovered in
South Africa is the Allnatt, a 100-carat fancy vivid canary yellow.
Record Breaker
The largest yellow diamond is a deep brownish yellow called the
Incomparable. It is the third largest diamond in the world, weighing
407.48 carats and is also the world’s largest internally flawless diamond.
It was originally discovered by a young girl playing in a pile of rubble in
the town of Mbuji Mayi in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Little Known Fact
The first diamond ever to be authenticated in Africa was the Eureka, a
pale yellow stone weighing 10.7 carats. It was discovered in 1866 by the
child of a Boer farmer, in a small hole probably made by a bushman
digging for roots.
Die Hard Fans
Former First Lady, Hillary Clinton, wore her 4.23
carat "Kahn Canary" flawless diamond to President
Bill Clinton’s Inaugural Ball and other important
events. The Academy Awards, where fashion can
make or break the image of movie stars, actress
Whoopi Goldberg wore a $5 million canary yellow
diamond pendant that weighed 80 carats, and
actress Julianne Moore wore a 7.52 carat fancy vivid
yellow diamond. In the fashion
industry, supermodel Christy
Turlington set her cushion-shaped yellow diamond
in a navel ring. Designer Donatella Versace has also
been spotted showing off her yellow diamonds. In
the hit series, "Sex and the City," the chic
Samantha Jones character receives a yellow diamond
stunner from her boyfriend, Richard,
after his indiscretion.
Historical Trivia
This cubic zirconium replica
was designed and cut by
Scott Sucher.
Light yellow with a slight green undertone and
weighing almost 140 carats in the rough, the
Florentine diamond initially belonged to the
Medicis, one of the most powerful families in
Europe. After it changed hands in 1743, the
Emperor Francis I wore the Florentine in his
crown at his coronation. After the collapse of
the Habsburg Empire in 1918, the stone
accompanied the royal family into exile in
Switzerland, but since then the diamond
has vanished; nothing definite is known of
its whereabouts.
