Have you ever wondered what you could find at a car boot sale? Well … for some lucky ones, a fortune in disguise.
In the 1980s, a woman from West London bought a vintage looking ring for £10 thinking it was a costume jewellery - a fake, due to its size and antique setting. She has been wearing it every day since and without even imagining it could be the ‘real deal’! Most of us could not even dream of owning such a ‘big rock,’ let alone wearing it every day with nonchalance!
The women recently decided to bring the ring into Sotheby's’ for an appraisal when a jeweller told her that the stone might have been of notable value. She was stagger to find out this was a natural diamond.
The diamond was then send by the auction house to GIA (Gemological Institute of America) for a certification and it turned out being a natural old cushion-cut diamond of 26.27 carat, “I” in colour (slightly tint) and “VVs2” (a remarkable clarity, almost without any flaws).
The average English engagement ring is about 0.50ct. - this is fifty times bigger!
A cushion cut is usually a square cut with round corners, which gives the diamond the allusion of a pillow, hence the name cushion. A century ago, it was considered one of the most popular diamond shapes. It was only around twenty years ago when the old cut had a total makeover - some facets were added onto it creating a much more sparkling stone - that is was made fashionable again.
Such a diamond is capable of giving to the woman who wears it a feeling of elegance and romance.
Did you know that women who choose cushion cut diamonds consider themselves to be sentimental and romantic? I must be one of them as I love cushion cut diamonds. It is my favourite fancy cut shape, due to its antique look and flair.
The experts at Sotheby’s think this old cushion cut diamond has been cut in the 19th century but nobody knows how it arrived at the car boot sale. Jessica Wyndham, head of the Sotheby’s auction house’s London jewellery department, called the case “A one-off windfall, an amazing find. The woman who had bought the diamond had no idea of its real value at the time.”
It has been named the “Tenner Ring’ and estimated by Sotheby's between £250k and £350k. However, earlier this month when it went under the hummer, it doubled the highest estimate and end up selling for a whopping £656,750!!
Such an extraordinary and exceptional find!
Let’s go ‘car boot’ HUNTING this coming weekend!
NB: All images are borrowed from different media, internet sites and MBC archive.