Christie’s is delighted to present this collection (Lots 62-68) which features six diamonds ranging from 14.52 to 1.06 carats and the ever spectacular Dancing Sun, a fancy intense yellow diamond of 204.36 carats.

Each of these seven diamonds were cut and polished from a single rough of 552.74 carats, which was uncovered in October 2018 in the Diavik Diamond Mine. Located in Canada’s Northwest Territories, about 135 miles south of the Arctic Circle, the Diavik Diamond Mine is ethereally beautiful and almost mythical. Having opened in 2003, Diavik is Canada’s second diamond mine, following the Ekati Diamond Mine which opened in 1998.

Diamond mining in Canada is relatively new, with an approximate 30 year-old history. The record for the largest known gem quality rough ever mined in North America was previously held by the 187.66 carat Foxfire rough also from Diavik Diamond Mine, unearthed in 2015. Skillfully studied, the rough was transformed into several diamonds, including a pair of pear-shaped diamonds of 37.87 and 36.80 carats, auctioned at Christie’s New York in December 2018 for $1.5 million.

The 552.74 carat yellow rough diamond most impressively trumps the previous record for the largest gem quality rough ever discovered in North America. With its remarkable weight of 204.36 carats, the Dancing Sun is also the largest polished diamond mined in North America to date. The Arctic Canadian Diamond Company Limited is proud to offer this record breaking fancy intense yellow diamond for auction – a significant milestone for the North American diamond mining industry.