A shocked pensioner has discovered that a diamond she ‘almost threw in a bin’ while clearing out her home is a 34-carat stone worth £2 million.
In her 70s, the Northumberland woman took the diamond along with her costume jewellery she had purchased at car boot sales over many decades to be valued.
According to the BBC Mark Lane, auctioneer Mark Lane stated that he was stunned when he discovered the diamond’s true worth.
A shocked pensioner has discovered that a diamond (pictured right next to a pound coin) she ‘almost threw in a bin’ while clearing out her home is a 34-carat stone worth £2 million
The stone, which is more than a pound, is currently being kept at Hatton Garden in London, before going on sale next month.
‘The lady came in with a bag of jewellery as she just thought she would bring it in as she was passing because she had another appointment in the town,’ said Mr Lane, of Featonby’s Auctioneers in North Shields, North Tyneside.
He stated that the stone was kept in a box with the women’s wedding rings and other low-value costume jewellery.
“We saw a large, larger than a pound coins, and I thought that it was a CZ. [cubic zirconia, a synthetic diamond lookalike]. It sat on my desk for a couple of days before I used a diamond tester machine.
‘We then sent it off to our partners in London before it was certified by experts in Antwerp, Belgium, who said it was 34.19 carat colour HVS1, which is extremely rare.’
Carat is the measurement of a diamond’s weight. Diamonds with a heavier carat have a higher value and therefore a higher carat.
The auctioneer told the woman that she wanted to remain anonymous. She didn’t know where the diamond was purchased, but she told him she visited car boot sales every day and bought trinkets.
He said that she did not know that the stone was a genuine diamond.
The Northumberland woman in her 70s took the diamond to be valued along with costume jewellery she had bought at car boot sales over many years, and was told that it is worth up to £2 million. The stone will be up for auction on November 30,
“She told us that she had been having an empty house and that the items almost ended up in the garbage before her neighbour suggested that she bring them to us to be valued.
Mr Lane stated that the diamond was the most valuable item he had ever handled since he purchased the business from its previous owners five year ago.
He stated that a 34-carat diamond would be difficult to find because of its colour, clarity, and size.
Mr Lane stated that he was stunned to hear how much the item was worth. It was an out of body experience, the hair on the back of my neck stood up. It’s crazy how it all happened.
“We get everything from jewellery to fine arts and furniture. I’ve seen everything across the board but nothing of that magnitude in the five years I’ve been here.’
The diamond will be kept safe at London’s Hatton Garden jewellery Quarter until it is up for auction on November 30,
Hatton Garden, already famous for its high-end jewellery shops, hit the headlines in 2015 when six elderly men – all experienced thieves – raided a safe deposit facility and burgled up to £14 million worth of cash and other goods.