Stones You May Never See Topping a Yellow Diamond Engagement Ring

As far as precious gems go, diamonds are perhaps the ones which most frequently capture the imagination of the average bride or groom. Among these, fancy diamonds, a special, extra-sparkly sub-category within the broader 'diamond' classification, are perhaps the most coveted, either due to their rarity, their beauty, or a combination of both.

Unfortunately, most of these stones are altogether too expensive for anyone but the richest of brides and grooms to be able to afford. The exceptions are yellow diamonds, the relatively common nature of which takes the purchase of a yellow diamond engagement ring out of the realm of fanciful fiction and brings it down to a more realistically possible level for most couples.

However, even yellow diamonds have their outstanding specimens - stones so perfect, large or rare that it is all but impossible that they will ever be set in a yellow diamond engagement ring, at least one owned by a 'mere mortal'. This article describes a few of them.

The Exceptionals

When the subject is yellow diamonds, the first stone which comes to mind is, of course, the world-famous Tiffany diamond. This stone, dated by many as having been discovered in 1877 or 1878, belongs to the owners of the famous upmarket jewellery store located on Fifth Avenue in New York City and impresses not only for its size, approximately 129 carats, but also for having been fashioned into a stylish brooch, complete with a stylised bird standing on the rock.

The Tiffany diamond is not, however, the only diamond unlikely to feature in a mass-marketed yellow diamond engagement ring. The approximately 254-carat Oppenheimer diamond is another worthy entrant to the 'Exceptionals' category. This stone's claim to fame, apart from its size, is having belonged to the founder of De Beers, the world's leading diamond merchant. The same individual also owned another notable yellow diamond, the 235-carat 'De Beers Diamond', part of the Patiala necklace.

But of course, no list of noteworthy yellow diamonds would be complete without 'The Incomparable', the largest diamond of this colour in the world, and third largest overall. Weighing in at a whopping 408 carats, this mammoth stone is also notable for being internally flawless, which understandably increases its value substantially. Ironically, this most valuable of all diamonds was discovered by a young girl as she was playing in a pile of rubble in the Congo.

There are, of course, many other stones which could qualify for this list and which are unlikely to adorn a yellow diamond engagement ring. However, these are the most impressive representatives of that group and constitute good examples of occasions when a stone of this type is not necessarily all that affordable.