Lot Essay
US$250,000-350,000
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The southern region of Borneo is called Kalimantan which is part of Indonesia and the northern area (about 25 of the island) is divided into the Malaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah. The Sultanate of Brunei lies between these two states.
It is believed that diamonds have been found on the island for the past thousand years but it is only from the mid-16th Century that we know for certain that Borneo had diamond mines because a Portuguese traveller, Feran Mindez Pinto, described the area as being diamond producing.
The celebrated French jeweller and traveller Jean-Baptiste Tavernier (1605-1689), did much to develop trade between France and India which was well documented in his book, The Six Voyages of Jean Baptiste Tavernier, published in 1670. It was in this book that he refers to the existence of diamonds in Borneo and notes that the annual tribute paid to the Chinese Emperor was exclusively in diamonds. He goes on to say "Finally, on the island of Borneo, the largest island in the world, there is a river known as the Succadan. Beautiful stones are found in its sands. They possess the same hardness as those of the Gouel river, or the other mines that I have mentioned. When I was in Batavia, one of the Company's principals showed me a simple point weighing 25 and one-eighth carats, a perfect gem that came from this river Succadan. I decided not to go to Borneo, mainly because the island's Queen does not permit strangers to take any gems, and there are great difficulties in exporting them. The few that are smuggled out are sold in Batavia."
The largest and most famous diamond from Kalimantan is the Banjarmasin which now weighs 40 carats. It takes its name from the town, which is on the southern coast of the island and was owned by the Sultan who kept the uncut 77 carats stone around his neck by means of string. A visiting group of Dutch scientists, who visited the area in 1857, noted that most of the Sultan's wealth consisted of diamonds and while the majority of his subjects lived in abject poverty he and his eldest wife Njai Komala ruled the region with a firm hand. In 1859 the centuries old Banjarmasin Sultanate ceased to exist and the regalia and other valuable possessions of the Sultan were taken by the Dutch, amongst which was the 77 carats uncut stone which later became known as the 'Banjarmasin'. When it was weighed it was only 70 carats but it had become so famous that King William III of the Netherlands (1849-1890) insisted on seeing the stone before it went to the Museum of Natural History in Leiden.
There is a long history of diamonds being popular with Indonesian collectors. In "Java, Facts and Fancies" by Augusta de Wit, there are several references to Chinese immigrants who, when they became wealthy invested in diamonds. Queeny Chang, the daughter of Tchong Ahsie, Kapitan China in Medan, Sumatra, wrote in her memoirs that she received a diamond necklace on her 18th birthday that was very similar to Lot 1412 in the sale.
Today there is only a limited amount of mining in the west of Kalimantan, not far from the town of Pontianak along the Landak river, and also close to the town of Banjarmasin in the foothills of the Meratus mountains. The area is rich in sedimentary sandstone that slowly releases its precious contents as it is eroded by nature. The mining that does continue is low-key and consists of miners digging up and washing the sandstone. There has been an attempt to mine on a commercial side but this has not been profitable and it is likely that mining will remain a family affair.
The national museum in Jakarta has a wonderful collection of jewellery with very elaborate Javanese Kris', the hilts of which are mostly diamond encrusted. Much of this jewelled work was and is done today, in Lombok, a small island off Bali.
The diamonds offered below (with the exception of the 22.78 carats H colour diamond) constitute the largest number of stones ever to be sold at auction having originated in Kalimantan. Of special note is the circular 45.81 carats fancy yellow diamond (Lot 1418), which is the fifth largest diamond of this colour to appear at auction in recent years and while it originated with a leading Chinese family in East Java there is no absolute certainty that it was mined in Kalimantan.
Also of note is the 28.02 carats fancy light yellow diamond (Lot 1419) that is a very clean stone, being VVS2 clarity. The majority of the other stones are typical diamonds from the region, being designated "Cape" and are surprisingly free from inclusions. This particular hue of yellow has always been popular in South East Asia and is particularly attractive in yellow gold mounts. This collection represents a rare opportunity to acquire diamonds from an interesting and little known gemstone producing region.
As mentioned above, the one stone that definitely does not come from Kalimantan is the exceptional circular 22.78 carats H VVS2 diamond (Lot 1408). Over the past 10 years there has been very few diamonds of this colour and clarity offered at auction.
The whole collection will be sold in the Magnificent Jewellery auction in Hong Kong on 30th April 2002.
THE PROPERTY OF A LADY
A DIAMOND NECKLACE
Details
A DIAMOND NECKLACE
Designed as a series of nine graduated circular-cut diamonds weighing 5.35, 5.50, 8.34, 8.72, 9.59, 11.20, 11.27, 11.53 and 19.74 carats, to the fine oval-link neckchain, 37.8 cm.
The total weight of the diamonds is 91.24 carats
Designed as a series of nine graduated circular-cut diamonds weighing 5.35, 5.50, 8.34, 8.72, 9.59, 11.20, 11.27, 11.53 and 19.74 carats, to the fine oval-link neckchain, 37.8 cm.
The total weight of the diamonds is 91.24 carats