Mounted by David Webb

Accompanied by GIA report no. 6204551424 dated December 19, 2019 stating that the center diamond is Fancy Deep Orange-Brown, Natural color. Together with a GIA Monograph detailing the history and attesting to the rarity of the diamond.Sotheby’s is pleased to present the “Earth Star,” weighing an impressive 111.59 carats. The diamond was discovered at the Jagersfontein mine in South Africa in 1967 in the form of a 248.90-carat rough diamond. The event was notable because the mine had not previously been known to produce brown diamonds or diamonds of such a large size. Moreover, this specimen came from 2,500 feet below the surface, which is exceptionally deep for a gem of this size. The stone was later sent to Baumgold Brothers in New York, who fashioned it into the pear-shaped diamond we see today and dubbed it the “Earth Star” due to its high degree of brilliance. In 1971, the diamond was sent back to South Africa for an exhibition commemorating the 100^th anniversary of the discovery of the Kimberley mine. Later, in 1983, the “Earth Star” was sold for nearly one million dollars. The diamond has been in private hands since that time.

The Earth Star’s combination of size and brilliance, as well as its bespoke mounting, makes it exceedingly rare. The diamond is the largest diamond ever mounted by David Webb, who designed the custom mounting using azurmalachite to resemble the Earth as seen from the perspective of a star, creating a striking visual representation of the diamond’s earthly origins.