The 35.56 carat Wittelsbach diamond

[Gailey]

Is it just me or does anyone else think this is one ugly expensive stone at £16.4 million:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1093609/Diamond-fit-princess-London-jeweller-pays-record-16-4m-historic-jewel.html

I fear I might take some flack for that comment, but I expect it will look nice when it''s been re-cut!

 

[jvLin]

Talk about ruining an artifact!

It may look better after it''s cut, but it has more historic value in its ugly, ugly form.

Did I mention ugly?

 

[pjean]

Oh, come on. It''s not that bad. I don''t think I''d ever buy it, but I wouldn''t turn it down if someone gave it to me.

 

[Brown.Eyed.Girl]

Is that a huge window?

But it''s big and sparkly! Makes a great Christmas tree ornament?

 

[jvLin]

Well, I don''t think I''d turn down anything anyone gave me.. but if I had to buy this particular gem, I''d only pay what he paid if that''s what the diamond is worth without the historical value.

It''s like buying an antique chair and then sanding off the dirty top layer while adding bolts to make it more sturdy. There are chairs for sitting, and chairs for admiring (sort of, heh..). I would only want this gem as a showcase item, nothing more.

 

[mochi]

...

 

[T L]

It's a large diamond in one of the rarest colors, and it has historic signficance. I think it's amazing and awe inspiring. It would be a travesty to recut it. It could use major polishing though. I believe the Hope also came out of the same mine in India where this and other famous colored diamonds came from. I'm so jealous of Laurence Graff. He has the premier colored diamond collection in the world I would imagine.

 

[Imdanny]

You can see one of the chips Mr. Graff is talking about in the left hand corner in the large picture. I have to agree with the OP. It's kind of ho hum for 16 million pounds imho. There's stuff I could point to at Harry Winston's site I'd like much better but to each his or her own.

 

[ma re]

I''ve definately seen worse, but I''ve also seen many better ones. People tend to be impressed by the cost and declare beautiful anything that''s pricey - not me. I''ve seen many gems from royal jewels (in photos) that are just plain ugly and if they weren''t set in nice pieces of jewellery they''d look like crap (emeralds washed out, sapphires too dark, aquas poorly cut...). But more often than not, they''re rare due to their size, not due to their beauty. I''m sure this one looks nice in person just because it''s a diamond, and even those with less than perfect cut can have a degree of brilliance and fire, not to mention a beautiful greasy luster. But I''d rather buy a bag of other stones than that one, for sure.

 

[jvLin]

Oops, missposted.