A fancy colored diamond and diamond solitaire ring with a 15.45-carat modified rectangular-cut fancy yellow diamond. Photo courtesy of Bonhams.

One such gemstone was a 15.45-carat fancy yellow center diamond in a solitaire ring. Fancy yellow diamonds are hard enough to find, let alone one of this remarkable size. In addition, the diamond is internally flawless—a rare gem, indeed. The center modified rectangular-cut diamond is flanked by white diamonds weighing 3.5 carats in triangular shoulders. The ring was owned by Dorothy McGuire of The McGuire Sisters, a group that had half a dozen gold records in its 50-year career. With a pre-auction estimate of $280,000-380,000, the ring sold for $302,500.