It was almost thrown away by its owner, who mistook it for costume jewelry.
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You can sometimes find a jewel in the rough.
A 34-carat diamond that was formerly thought to be a cheap piece of fake jewelry has been appraised at more than $2 million. According to the BBC, the massive stone, which is roughly the size of a $1 coin, belongs to a woman in her 70s who lives in Northern England.
The diamond’s owner, who prefers to remain unidentified, told the news service that she can’t recall where she acquired it but suspects it was at a flea market. The unknowing diamond collector nearly put the six-figure rare in the garbage while cleaning her Northumberland house when a neighbor recommended she take it to be appraised.
The 34-carat diamond is about the same size as a $1 coin.
“The lady came in with a bag of jewelry as she just thought she would bring it in as she was passing because she had another appointment in the town,” Mark Lane of Featonby’s Auctioneers told the BBC. “It had been in a box along with her wedding band and a number of low-value costume jewelry items.”
Lane assumed the diamond was a less desirable cubic zirconia for around $2,700 at first. He even let it rest on his desk for a few days before putting it to the test. The diamond machine lighted up right quickly, much to their astonishment. The brilliant cut gem was subsequently transferred to the HRD Diamond Grading Laboratory in Antwerp, Belgium, where it was verified to be a 34.19-carat color H VS1 diamond valued $2.7 million.
The rarity could fetch up to $2.7 million at auction.
The popular item isn’t going back into the costume jewelry box. Lane will sell the diamond at Featonby’s single-lot sale The Secret Stone on November 30. According to the auction house, it is estimated to sell for between $2.2 million and $2.7 million.
Lane says, “The color, the clarity, the size… to find a 34-carat diamond is off the scale.”
May the sale serve as a constant reminder to treat your jewelry with respect.
