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A Colorless 35-Carat Diamond Ring—Part of a Collection One Couple Accumulated Over 60 Years of Marriage—Could Sell for $3 Million at Auction
One couple's private collection of jewelry, which was accumulated over the course of their six decades of marriage, will be auctioned off at Sotheby's later this month, on June 13, 2025.
Among the 13 pieces on the auction block will be a rare, colorless 35-carat diamond ring from Graff, a New York City jeweler. It is expected to sell for anywhere from $2 to $3 million.
The couple, Jack and Louisa, started accumulating jewelry after Jack promised his new bride that she would "have ten times as many jewels" as the women they saw on their stories are documented in many different ways—for some couples, a lifetime together might be seen through photographs; for others, the years and memories shared might be outlined in love letters and notes; for others still, a happy marriage can be documented through physical objects. For Jack and Louisa, a couple married for over 60 years, the latter is true. Over the course of their union, Jack treated his wife to countless pieces of beautiful jewelry, a response to a promise he made on their honeymoon that she would "have ten times as many jewels" as the women around them someday. Now, those stunning items—including a rare diamond ring—will be auctioned off at Sotheby's later this month.
Dubbed 'Joie de Vivrea: Journey in Jewels," the couple's personal collection of 13 pieces will be sold at auction as part of Sotheby's New York City's High Jewelry auction on June 13, Forbes notes. Among the offerings is a 35-carat colorless Graff diamond ring, which is estimated to sell for $3 million. "The jewels in the collection, selected entirely by Jack, represent years of mutual adoration. They also reflect Louisa's stately bearing, informed in part by years of studying dance, which allows her to wear dramatic pieces with effortless grace," Sotheby's says in the auction statement.
Related: A Rare 17-Carat Harry Winston Diamond Ring Is Expected to Sell for Up to $1 Million at an Auction
Funnily enough, Louisa notes that she never particularly cared about acquiring lots of jewelry. 'I aspire to cashmere sweaters, not jewels,' she told Sotheby's. 'I've never entered a jewelry store. But Jack? He just goes for a walk and comes back with something tucked inside his coat pocket.' One of these trips resulted in her husband coming home with a massive emerald-cut diamond ring from Graff, which features D color and VVS2 clarity—in short, it's a near flawless stone.
'I had never seen anything so big and so perfect,' Louisa told Sotheby's. 'I didn't feel I could wear it. We were about to head to Capri, so I put it in the vault. As the days passed, the diamond grew bigger and bigger in my mind until it was the size of a table. When we returned home, I went to the vault to get the ring…and the diamond had shrunk! And so, I wore it.'
The statement-making sparkler would undoubtably make for an incredible engagement ring, assuming the price tag is within your budget. The couple will also auction off a number of other pieces from their collection, including earrings and bracelets.
Up Next: A Rare 10-Carat Pink Diamond With Ties to Marie Antoinette Is Going Up for Auction Next Month—Will Someone Use It as an Engagement Ring?
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