Pre-Auction Analysis: December 8th, 2021, Christie’s New York, Magnificent Jewels

As most of the industry has been prevented from traveling to New York during this challenging period, this Auction Analysis could help those who would like to bid without physically inspecting the goods. Our Christie’s New York Pre-Auction Analysis focuses on elements that aren’t visible to the untrained eye. We will describe the important visual elements for those who cannot attend the preview and discuss characteristics such as: Undertone, Color Dispersion, and Inner-Grade. These factors, collectively termed UDI, are explained in detail at the bottom of this article. We analyze and grade Fancy Color Diamonds relative to their GIA grade.

We use grades 1, 2, 3, and 4, with 1 being the lowest grade. Grade “4+” is granted in rare cases and denotes stones with exceptional characteristics. Stones that receive a minimum total UDI score of 8, without a red remark, pass the industry threshold and can be traded easily. Fancy Color Diamonds that are graded 10 or above, (without a quality remark) are usually sought after by high-end jewelry brands, collectors, and the investment community.

For your convenience, we have added direct links to the GIA reports.

• I took all images in this article review with an iPhone 12 Pro; no filters were applied.
• All auction valuations are per-carat and listed in US Dollars.

Lot: 80

Description: 8.14 ct, Fancy Intense Yellow, Oval, SI1

High Auction Estimation: $8,599 pc

Price realized: $11,517 pc

Rarity: An extremely small number of similar diamonds enter the market yearly… Check Rarity Here 

GIA Report: View

Analysis:

An 8.14 carat Fancy Intense Yellow with perfect Color Dispersion. No green or brown Undertone is present in the stone’s yellow hue. The SI1 clarity is a result of a prominent black crystal under the table. The face-up view of this oval looks