Christie's to Auction $18M D-Flawless Diamond

RAPAPORT... Christie's will offer a 103.49-carat diamond that could fetch up to $18 million at its upcoming New York sale.The emerald-cut, D-Flawless, type IIa stone, called the Light of Africa diamond, will headline the auction house's Magnificent Jewels sale on June 8, it said Monday. It will be among the items featured as part of Christie's luxury week.The diamond was cut from a 299.3-carat rough Petra Diamonds recovered from its Cullinan mine in South Africa in January 2021. Petra then sold the diamond to Dubai-based diamond-sourcing and supply company Stargems DMCC in March of that year for $12.18 million. It is the third-largest high-quality white diamond recovered from Cullinan since Petra acquired it in 2008, the miner noted.Christie's will preview the diamond in Geneva from May 6 to 11, followed by Hong Kong from May 22 to 24, before showing it in New York between June 3 and 7.Image: The Light of Africa diamond. (Christie's)