A Closer Look at the 4 Most Expensive Yellow Diamonds Sold At Auction
Learn more about the rarest and most extraordinary yellow diamonds over 100 Carats.
Brief History of Yellow Diamonds
The yellow diamond was first discovered in South Africa in 1866 and was eventually named the Eureka Diamond. It is now displayed at the Kimberly Mini Museum in South Africa. Yellow diamonds get their color from nitrogen atoms in the crystal structure. The nitrogen absorbs blue light which gives the diamond its yellow hue. Natural yellow diamond hue ranges from fancy light to fancy intense. The color grade is based on a rating from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). The value of a yellow diamond is heavily influenced by the intensity of the yellow color with the most fancy intense yellow colors being the most rare and valuable. Yellow diamonds are known to symbolize growth, rejuvenation, and purity. One of most famous yellow diamonds is the Tiffany Yellow Diamond that is over 129.54 carats. It has been worn only a few times by celebrities including Audrey Hepburn in promotional photos for Breakfast at Tiffany's in 1961, Lady Gaga in 2019 at the 91st Academy Awards and Beyonce in 2021 for a Tiffany and Co. campaign.
100 Carat Yellow Diamonds
Sotheby's has sold many exceptional yellow diamonds at auction including four yellow diamonds that each weighed over 100 carats. Learn more about the four most expensive yellow diamonds sold at auction.
1. Graff Vivid Yellow $16.8 million
This extremely rare fancy vivid yellow diamond ring known as The Graff Vivid Yellow sold for $16.8 million (14.5 million CHF) in 2014. The Graff Vivid Yellow fancy vivid yellow diamond is one of the most famous diamonds in existence. The yellow diamond is a cushion modified brilliant fancy vivid yellow diamond weighing 100.09 carats, the shoulders are embellished with brilliant-cut diamonds on a signed detachable Graff band. The Graff Vivid Yellow is listed in Ian Balfour's reference book Famous Diamonds, published in 2008, as one of the few rare yellow diamonds greater than 100 carats.
2. The Sun Drop Diamond $13 million
The Sun Drop Diamond is the largest known Fancy Vivid Yellow pear shaped diamond in the world. The fancy vivid yellow diamond is 110.03 carats. It sold at Sothebys Geneva in 2011 for 11.2 million CHF, approximately 13 million USD. The Sun-Drop Diamond was unveiled to the world at London's Natural History Museum where it was exhibited in the famous 'Vault Gallery' from February through August 2011. The historically significant diamond with regard to its size and color, Alan Hart, head of collections for the Mineralogy Department, stated "When you look at a diamond like this", he stated in the Museum's press release, "you are not only looking at a unique piece of art, you are looking at the fascinating science that brought this stone to us. The Sun-Drop diamond was formed deep within the Earth's crust 1-3 billion years ago. As it grew, it incorporated nitrogen into its carbon crystal structure. The nitrogen impurities within the diamond give the diamond its yellow color as they modify light, absorbing the blue part of the visible spectrum. The yellow diamond then traveled on a long journey upwards in a slushy rock magma. The yellow diamond was found within a kimberlite pipe (a type of volcanic rock), it was expertly studied and cut, bringing the diamond to life." The diamond was discovered in South Africa in 2010, the stone cutting process took 6 months to create the largest known existing yellow pear shaped diamond. When the Sun Drop diamond sold at auction in 2011, it set a world record for the highest priced yellow diamond. The Sun Drop Diamond was later renamed the “Lady Dalal”.
3. The Golden Canary Diamond $12.3 million
The Gold Canary Diamond is a pear-shaped Fancy Deep brownish yellow diamond weighing 303.10 carats. This one-of-a-kind yellow diamond sold in December 2022 for 12.3 million USD. Stated in the GIA report, the diamond is a fancy deep brownish color and the clarity is internally flawless. Within the GIA report is a monograph attesting to the rarity and importance of an internally flawless diamond of this weight. The Gold Canary Diamond is nothing short of a miraculous discovery. The yellow diamond was discovered in the early 1980s, by a young girl playing near her uncle’s house in Mbuji Mayi, in modern-day Democratic Republic of Congo.The rough diamond immediately sparked global interest. Beyond its nearly unforeseen size, its unique internal characteristics beguiled viewers. Ian Balfour, in his seminal treatise, Famous Diamonds, said “…the crystal had been composed of sharply defined areas of different colours, each colour representing some change in the environment that must have occurred as the crystal was growing. At one stage, the crystal had been colourless; then nature had added a certain thickness of pale yellow diamond, followed by a ‘skin’ of smoky amber-coloured diamond.” At 303.10 carats, the Golden Canary remains the largest internally flawless diamond in the world.
4. Unmounted Fancy Vivid Yellow Diamond $5.5 million
In December 2023, Sothebys sold this incredible unmounted yellow diamond for $5.5 million. The yellow diamond is a cushion modified brilliant cut fancy vivid yellow diamond weighing 133.03 carats. On the GIA color scale the yellow is ‘vivid yellow’ which is the deepest most intense yellow a yellow diamond can be. Yellow diamonds of this color range always fetch the highest prices. Additionally, the yellow diamond clarity is VS2, meaning there are only a few visible inclusions. This precious 133.03 carat cushion cut yellow diamond is a one of a kind find in the luxury market.
Buying And Selling Yellow Diamonds At Sotheby’s
Sotheby's often has impressive yellow diamond creations available at auction. Sotheby's also has a large selection of yellow diamond rings available for immediate purchase on marketplace. If you would like to view a yellow diamond ring, a salon specialist would be happy to assist. Sotheby's is also able to source a yellow diamond ring from its global supplier network.
- Explore upcoming jewelry at auctions in New York, London, Switzerland, Paris, and Hong Kong.
- Speak to a Salon Associate in New York, Zurich or Hong Kong to schedule an appointment.
- Speak to Jewelry Specialist about selling a yellow diamond.
- Research previous yellow diamond prices using our extensive sale archive.
Trust our worldwide network of leading jewelry specialists from a globally renowned auction house with a 280-year history.
