An unique natural pearl, diamond and seed pearl pendent necklace. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2013

Suspending a cream natural pearl drop measuring 10.8 x 21.7 mm, surmounted by an old european-cut diamond weighing approximately 8.29 carats, to the collet-set old european-cut diamond neckchain with seed pearl accents, mounted in platinum, 42.2 cm long. Price Realized $1,954,742

ACCOMPANIED BY REPORT NO. 60882 DATED 13 OCTOBER 2011 FROM THE SSEF SWISS GEMMOLOGICAL INSTITUTE STATING THAT THE ANALYSED PROPERTIES CONFIRM THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE SALTWATER NATURAL PEARL

REPORT NO. 1129116398 DATED 19 MAY 2011 FROM THE GEMOLOGICAL INSTITUTE OF AMERICA STATING THAT THE 8.29 CARAT DIAMOND IS D COLOUR, VVS1 CLARITY; ALSO ACCOMPANIED BY A SUPPLEMENTAL LETTER FROM THE GEMOLOGICAL INSTITUTE OF AMERICA STATING THE 8.29 CARAT DIAMOND HAS BEEN DETERMINED TO BE TYPE IIA. TYPE IIA DIAMONDS ARE THE MOST CHEMICALLY PURE TYPE OF DIAMOND AND OFTEN HAVE EXCEPTIONAL OPTICAL TRANSPARENCY. TYPE IIA DIAMONDS WERE FIRST IDENTIFIED AS ORIGINATING FROM INDIA (PARTICULARLY FROM THE GOLCONDA REGION) BUT HAVE SINCE BEEN RECOVERED IN ALL MAJOR DIAMOND-PRODUCING REGIONS OF THE WORLD. AMONG FAMOUS GEM DIAMONDS, THE 530.20 CARAT CULLINAN AND THE 105.60 CARAT KOH-I-NOOR, ARE EXAMPLES OF TYPE IIA

ALSO ACCOMPANIED BY REPORT NO. 11060151 DATED 5 JULY 2011 FROM THE GüBELIN GEMMOLOGICAL LABORATORY STATING THAT THE 8.29 CARAT DIAMOND IS D COLOUR, INTERNALLY FLAWLESS CLARITY; ALSO ACCOMPANIED BY A NOTE AND APPENDIX STATING THAT BASED ON ITS INFRARED SPECTRUM, THE 8.29 CARAT DIAMOND IS CLASSIFIED AS TYPE IIA. ADDITIONALLY THIS 8.29 CARAT DIAMOND POSSESSES AN ANTIQUE CUTTING STYLE WHICH IS RARELY ENCOUNTERED IN THE GEM TRADE TODAY. IT DISPLAYS A COLOUR AND DEGREE OF TRANSPARENCY WHICH ARE PARTICULAR TO THE UNIQUE GEMSTONES OF TYPE IIA. DIAMONDS OF THIS TYPE, EXHIBITING AN ANTIQUE CUTTING STYLE AS WELL AS A FINE QUALITY, ARE VERY RARE AND WILL MOST CERTAINLY EVOKE REFERENCES TO THE HISTORIC TERM OF 'GOLCONDA'

A GOLCONDA DIAMOND IS OF A DISTINCT CALIBER COVETED BY TRUE CONNOISSEURS OF THE GEM TRADE. UNIVERSALLY REGARDED AS THE MINE FROM WHICH THE WORLD'S FINEST DIAMONDS WERE PRODUCED, THE WORD GOLCONDA STILL EVOKES A SENSE OF SCINTILLATING EXCLUSIVENESS. LOCATED IN THE SOUTHERN STATE OF HYDERABAD, THE INDIAN DIAMOND FIELDS ARE SCATTERED THROUGHOUT A BROAD BAND OF ANCIENT ROCKS EXTENDING NEARLY ONE THOUSAND MILES IN THE NORTH-SOUTH DIRECTION ALONG THE EASTERN HALF OF THE COUNTRY. THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE DIAMONDS FOUND WERE FROM ALLUVIAL DEPOSITS UNCOVERED IN FIVE DISTINCT DISTRICTS, EACH SEPARATED BY HIGH TERRAIN. EACH DISTRICT HAD ITS OWN NAME, THE MOST FAMOUS BEING GOLCONDA. THE CELEBRATED FRENCH GEM-MERCHANT, JEAN-BAPTISTE TAVERNIER, WHO FREQUENTED INDIA ON NUMEROUS VISITS IN THE 17TH CENTURY DESCRIBED GOLCONDA DIAMONDS AS "POOLS OF CRYSTAL WATER", A REFERENCE TO THE CLEAR TRANSPARENCY AND SOFT LUMINESCENT QUALITY DERIVED FROM ITS EXCEPTIONAL INTRINSIC CRYSTAL STRUCTURE. A QUALITY COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS LIMPIDITY, WATERY OR PURITY, A GOLCONDA DIAMOND IS DESCRIBED AS WHITER-THAN-WHITE. LIGHT APPEARS TO PASS THROUGH THE TRANSPARENT COLOURLESS STONE, UNHINDERED, ILLUMINATING A SUBSTANCE CLEAR AS A POOL OF GLISTENING PRISTINE WATER, TAINTLESS, UNADULTERATED, AND UNCONDITIONALLY PURE. IT IS THIS SEMBLANCE THAT DEFINES THESE DIAMONDS AND PROPELS A 'GOLCONDA' TO SUCH ELITE STATUS.

Christie's. HONG KONG MAGNIFICENT JEWELS.28 May 2013. Convention Hall - http://www.christies.com