A diamond ring was originally purchased in the 1980s from the boot of a car for £10 ($13), went under the hammer at Sotheby’s Fine Jewels sale in London on June 7 for £656,750 ($847,667) or £24,981 ($32,347) per carat.
The owner wore it for decades thinking it was a fake, but brought it in to Sotheby’s when a jeweller told them that the stone might have significant value and advised them to have it appraised.
Jessica Wyndham, who oversaw the London Fine Jewels sale, told media that the 26.29-carat diamond is thought to have been cut in the 19th century, but its history and how it came to be sold in a car boot sale, is unknown.
According to her, the stone’s antique cushion cut was intended to maximise its weight and not its brilliance, thus leading most people to believe it was a fake. The owner, who declined to be identified, wore it every day through even her chores like shopping. It was found to be the real deal after it was tested by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA).