It's national pumpkin day! So, you're probably wondering why a jewelry store would blog about pumpkin day. Well, wonder no more! In 2003, the Smithsonian held a rare gemstone exhibition, "The Splendor of Diamonds," and among the seven rare gems was the largest orange diamond ever found, weighing a whopping 5.54 carats, the Pumpkin Diamond. No, not a diamond shaped like the most coveted winter squash, but a diamond so naturally vivid orange it had to be named "The Pumpkin Diamond." In fact, the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) reports it as "one of the largest Fancy Vivid orange natural color diamonds in the world." Now that's something to talk about on National Pumpkin Day, but keep reading for more!
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Raw fancy diamonds - Image from Google Creative Commons.
The raw 11.00 carat rough diamond was later cut and polished by American diamond dealer William Goldberg revealing its natural fancy vivid orange color. On October 30, 1997, the 5.54 carat naturally Vivid Orange Cushion Cut Diamond was sold at a Sotheby's auction for $1.3 million to Ronald Winston of the House of Harry Winston, and being that it was just one day before Halloween, Winston officially named the stone "The Pumpkin Diamond."
The Pumpkin Diamond was set between two smaller crescent-shaped diamonds and received international attention in 2002 when Hollywood star Halle Berry wore the ring paired with a stunning orange Versace gown at the 74th Academy Awards, which made for a truly unforgettable look. Scroll down to see this lucious orange cushion cut in it's original setting.
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Orange diamonds are some of the rarest and most sought-after diamonds in the world. They occur naturally in only a handful of mines and are incredibly difficult to find. This stunning intensely orange gem was discovered by an unknown farmer back in 1997 in the Central African Republic.
Raw fancy diamonds - Image from Google Creative Commons.The Pumpkin Diamond was set between two smaller crescent-shaped diamonds and received international attention in 2002 when Hollywood star Halle Berry wore the ring paired with a stunning orange Versace gown at the 74th Academy Awards, which made for a truly unforgettable look. Scroll down to see this lucious orange cushion cut in it's original setting.
This stunning orange diamond is truly one-of-a-kind and is the only known orange diamond of its size and quality. Eventually, the stone was reset into a brooch setting, and today the stone is valued at $3 million. If you're lucky enough to own an orange diamond, you can be sure that you have a truly unique and rare gem. Happy National Pumpkin Day!
The Pumpkin Diamond ring.