Stunning the 2019 Oscars, was the outing of this rarely seen and venerable jewel.
Stepping out onto the red carpet was Lady Gaga sporting a world-class diamond — the glittering and outstanding Tiffany Yellow Diamond.
A true jewel, this diamond’s journey through both time-and-space is remarkable — in over 100 years it has only been worn in public three times, and its recent reappearance reminds everyone who is really the Queen of Jewels.
Weighing some 128.54 carats and displaying an extraordinary fancy yellow color, the Tiffany Yellow Diamond was unearthed over 140 years ago in South Africa’s famed Kimberley area, in the mine’s of the then French Company. Originally weighing a huge 287 Carats in the rough, the rough diamond was transported to Paris where it was studied prior to cutting for an entire year by the famous gemologist of that era, George F. Kunz.
Kunz cut the diamond in a modified cushion shape to make it burst with color as opposed to brilliance. Eventually after polishing, the now 128.54 Carat yellow diamond was purchased by Tiffany & Co, New York through their Paris office.
The Tiffany yellow remained unset until the 1940’s where upon the diamond was mounted in a bird-themed brooch and was worn only once by a Mrs E Sheldon Whitehouse in 1957.
In 1961 the diamond was worn by the entrancing Audrey Hepburn in publicity photographs for one of the most iconic films of that era “Breakfast at Tiffanys”.
After that the diamond was not worn for nearly 60 years. Between 1961 and the 2019 outing with Lady Gaga the Tiffany Yellow Diamond was unmounted and loaned to The Smithsonian and was the largest exceptional diamond in the United States.
In the early 2010’s the diamond was returned to Tiffany’s who designed for it a new and spectacular necklace.
128.54 Carats of Yellow Lusciousness. Worn only 3 times in 140 years.
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