A 43.51-carat internally flawless fancy intense Yellow Diamond, seized in a drug sting by the U.S. Marshals Service Northern District of Ohio, will be up for auction September 6 to 9 at online auction site, Bid4Assets.
The massive stone, known as Golden Eye, was seized in a drug sting in 2006 when an Ohio businessman tried to sell it to undercover agents posing as brokers for a South American drug cartel. The businessman, Paul Monea, was convicted of money laundering and conspiracy in 2007; he tried to sell a 62-acre estate to the same agents.
The diamond, which measures about an inch in length, spans 1.42 length-to-width ratio. It has a pure yellow hue with no green or orange modifying color and the color distribution is very even with no visible zoning present, according to a joint statement from USMS and Bid4Assets. The diamond is believed to be one of the world’s most perfect and flawless canary yellow diamonds.
The minimum bid for the rare stone is $900,000, and bidders must submit a pre-bid deposit of $180,000prior to placing a bid. Ryan Helfrich, deputy U.S. marshal in the Northern District, said the deposit is a fully refundable and allows interested bidders the right to view the diamond.Viewings will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 29 through Sept. 2. Once bidding starts at $900,000, Helfrich said, it will go up by $110,000 increments.
An online auction will start at 8 a.m. Sept. 6 and end at 3 p.m. Sept. 8.
Golden Eye - 43-Carat Fancy Yellow Diamondiamond
