Jakarta –
A British woman earned a £2 million windfall after a gem she thought was cheap was revealed to be a genuine 34-carat diamond through a series of tests.
The owner, who is in his 70s, was cleaning his home in Northumberland, England, and brought the item to be assessed. He brought it along with a number of other items he bought from a flea market and collected it in a box.
Auctioneer Mark Lane said the value of the jewelery was a “big surprise”.
The gem, which is larger than a pound coin, will go up for auction next month.
Lane, from Featonby’s Auctioneers in North Shields, North Tyneside, said: “The woman came with a bag of jewellery, she brought it here by chance passing the shop and she already had another appointment.”
Featonby’s Auctioneers These diamonds have been valued by experts in Europe.
“The diamond was in a box kept with her wedding ring and a bunch of other cheap pieces of jewelry.
“We saw a pretty big rock, bigger than a pound coin, and I thought it was CZ . zircon [cubic zirconia, berlian imitasi sintetis]. I kept the diamond on the table for two or three days until I checked it with a diamond testing machine.
“We then sent it to our partners in London before it was certified by experts in Antwerp, Belgium, who confirmed it was 34 carats.”
Carat measurements depend on the weight of the stone, where heavier stones have higher carats and grades.
Lane said the owner, who wished to remain anonymous, could not remember where or when he bought it.
“He often visits the second-hand market and buys knick-knacks, but never once did he think it was a real diamond.
“He told us he was cleaning and the diamond was about to be thrown in the trash before his neighbors suggested bringing his belongings to us for an assessment.”
‘Unbeatable’
Lane, who has been in the auction business for five years after buying it from its previous owner, added the diamond was the most expensive item he had ever handled.
“The color, clarity, size… finding that 34-carat diamond is second to none.”
The diamond was closely guarded at London’s Hatton Garden jewelery center until it went up for auction on November 30.
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(ita / ita)
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