Giant 205-Carat ‘Red Cross Diamond’ To Be Sold, With Some Of P | Forbes

Giant 205-Carat ‘Red Cross Diamond’ To Be Sold, With Some Of Proceeds Going To Namesake Aid Group

One of the world’s largest diamonds is going up for auction next month, with a portion of proceeds from the sale set to go to the International Committee of the Red Cross, the world’s largest humanitarian organization, which it has been associated with for more than 100 years.

The “Red Cross Diamond” is a 205-carat canary yellow, cushion-shaped diamond that has a distinctive pavilion design that forms a Maltese cross.

The rough stone is believed to have been mined by De Beers in South Africa in 1901, and to have originally weighed about 375 carats, according to Christie’s, the auction house that is selling the diamond for the third time in about 100 years.

The diamond received its name when it was first auctioned in 1918 by Christie’s to benefit the British Red Cross Society and the Order of St John – which uses the Maltese cross as a symbol.