Fred reunites with 101.57-carat yellow diamond It Let Go Go 44 years ago – WWD

SOLAR: Fred’s CEO Charles Leung said: “It will never leave the house as he unveils the Soleil d’Or, a 101.57-carat vivid yellow diamond in the heritage collection. of the jeweler, 44 years from the last date shown by the house.

In 1977, Henri Samuel, son of company founder Fred Samuel, bought and sold the diamond over a period of several weeks, keeping it long enough for three things: making it the focal point of a short-term exhibition at the flagship store in Paris; was it immortalized in the fingers of Margaux Hemingway; and named it, because its cheerful bright colors reminded him of the light on the Riviera that the patriarch of the family loved so much.

Its return was fateful for Valérie, daughter of Leung and Henri Samuel, now vice president and artistic director of the LVMH-owned jeweler. The diamond’s original certificate from the Gemmological Institute of America, which they found in the archives, was in such poor condition that they contacted the organization to request a copy.

To their surprise, they learned the gem itself had been put on the market. Once again, the home became its owner within a few months, acquiring it in the spring of 2021 for an undisclosed amount.

As one of the rarest colors, yellow diamonds can fetch high prices, especially in auctions. A 110-carat fancy vivid yellow Sun Drop pear diamond was sold by Sotheby’s in 2011 for over $12.3 million, while Tiffany Diamond and its 128.54 carats is estimated to be worth about $30 million.

Originally a 105.54-carat cushion cut, Fred’s diamond was recut into an emerald shape by one of its owners, and changed its quality to a fancy deep yellow color. Valérie Samuel said: “If anything, it is an even more modern character.

“Soleil d’Or epitomizes this house’s jewelry art: sourcing for clients but also thinking of a crazy marketing event. 1977, to buy by fax or get a star [endorse a piece] would be equivalent to a job high end jewelry on Tiktok today – an amazingly avant-garde gesture for its time,” said Leung.

Welcoming such an important stone back home felt like a heavy responsibility for Leung, and one that had nothing to do with price. “I asked myself what could be inspired by an object that is both large and small? [us] have to do – not that you have to deal with that many 100-carat diamonds in a career,” he admitted.

First: an exhibition. The diamond will be one of the highlights of the house’s first retrospective, scheduled to take place next September at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris. While Samuel wouldn’t be drawn to the reveal if the stone became part of the design, she did admit it could affect the next house. high end jewelry collection, currently under development.

“This will be an opportunity to highlight the many ideas that underpin our identity – the Force 10 bracelet, the notion that jewelry is unisex, the encounters that have shaped us but also is the way [her father and grandfather] she noted.

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