The Jonker Explained

The Jonker
Carats:726
Color:D-flawless
Mine:Elandsfontein
Country:South Africa
Cutter:Lazare Kaplan
Found:17 January 1934
Original Owner:Ernest Oppenheimer
Owner:Anonymous
Value:$2.25M+

The Jonker diamond was found at the Elandsfontein mine in South Africa by Johannes Jacobus Jonker on 17 January 1934.[1] The diamond was 726 carats, which at the time was the fourth largest uncut gem ever found.[2]

Ownership

The diamond was first purchased by Joseph Bastiaenen, an agent of the Diamond Corporation Ltd, a company owned by Sir Ernest Oppenheimer. In 1935 it was purchased by Harry Winston, a New York diamond dealer, for 150,000 pounds.[3] Harry Winston toured the United States with the diamond that was photographed with a number of stars such as Claudette Colbert and Shirley Temple.[4]

Cut

After contemplating the diamond for almost a year, Winston chose Lazare Kaplan to study the Jonker diamond.[5]

Lazare Kaplan was chosen to cut the diamond into several gemstones.[6] The process of examining the diamond to determine the optimal cuts took place over the course of several months. On 27 April 1936, the first cut was made which cut off a 35-carat section, finally ending with the diamond being cut into 13 pieces. The largest piece produced the Jonker I, a 142.90 ct D-color flawless diamond which was later re-cut to 125.35 carats.

NameCut TypeCut Weight (ct)Finished Weight (ct)
Jonker I Emerald 220 142.90
Jonker II Emerald 79.65 41.29
Jonker III Emerald 65.28 35.45
Jonker IV Emerald 52.77 30.71
Jonker V Emerald 54.19 25.78
Jonker VI Emerald 53.95 24.91
Jonker VII Emerald 43.30 19.76
Jonker VIII Marquise 35.82 15.77
Jonker IX Emerald 27.85 13.55
Jonker X Emerald 29.46 11.43
Jonker XI Emerald 13.57 5.70
Jonker XII Emerald 10.98 5.30
Jonker XIII Baguette 8.28 3.53

Jonker I

In 1949, King Farouk of Egypt purchased the Jonker I.[7] After he was deposed and exiled in 1952, the gem was lost. The gem later reappeared in the ownership of Queen Ratna of Nepal. Until 2023, the last known location of the Jonker I was Hong Kong in 1977, when it was sold to an anonymous buyer for $2,259,000.

It was included in a public exhibition at the Los Angeles Natural History Museum in 2023/2024 on loan from the private collection of Ibrahim Al-Rashid.[8]

See also

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Jonker Diamond. InternetStones.COM. 8 December 2015.
  2. Web site: Coins and Treasures > The Jonker. 24hGold. 8 December 2015.
  3. Diamond Industry. Life. 15 January 1940. 62. 21 June 2024.
  4. News: Do you recognise these silver screen gems?. The Telegraph. 11 November 2016. London. 2017-10-03.
  5. Book: Kurin, Richard. Hope Diamond: The Legendary History of a Cursed Gem. 2017-02-28. Smithsonian Institution. 9781588344199. en.
  6. Web site: Jonker Diamond. Encyclopædia Britannica. 8 December 2015.
  7. Book: Ross, Lillian. Lillian Ross (journalist). Reporting Always: Writings from The New Yorker. Simon & Schuster. 198. 9781501116001. 2015. 21 June 2024.
  8. Web site: The Jonker Diamond: A Giant Gem of Many Facets. Hayden. Tyler. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. 1 December 2023. 21 June 2024.