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The Chameleon diamond which hangs with diamond rondelles and two other diamond briolettes

Christie's Jewels Auction

The magical colour changes of a Chameleon diamond

It sounds like something out of a Hollywood film – a magical diamond that changes colour.

But the chameleon diamond up for auction at Christie’s New York Jewels sale on April 22 is all too real. The grayish yellowish green stone changes hue when it is gently heated or left in darkness.

“It comes alive with light,” marvels Rahul Kadakia, jewelry department head of Christie’s Americas. “If you have it in your safe where it has not seen any light and you take it out it will be a deep yellow. Then the more light it is exposed to, it turns green. It’s almost like the stone goes to sleep when you put it in the vault, and then wakes up when you take it out. It becomes happy.”

At 19.13 carats, this is the largest chameleon diamond to come up for auction. The stone is a briolette cut and hangs on a platinum chain along with a 1.63 carat purple-pink diamond briolette, and a 5.08 carat white diamond briolette. The three diamonds are separated by several articulated diamond rondelles. The piece is estimated to sell for between $800,000 and $1.2 million U.S.

If you have never heard of a chameleon diamond before, don’t fret.

“They are not common at all,” Kadakia notes. “In all the auctions from all the auction houses all over the world, we only see one or two a year.

“And the ones we do see, are usually small - between 2 and 5 carats. At that size, the diamond would not be so important.”

Colour is also an issue with most chameleons coming in a dank grey hue.

“The colour of this stone is superb, and it’s a briolette which we don’t see that often, even in a white diamond. So it really is a special stone.”