DALLAS, TX.- A spectacular 22.09-carat fancy yellow diamond with a remarkable journey from the famed Kimberley Mine in South Africa to one of Britain’s leading luxury jewelers will take center stage in Heritage Auctions’ September 28 Fall Fine Jewelry Signature� Auction.

The Pragnell Kimberley Sunshine Diamond ring lives up to its radiant name. Internally Flawless and verified as originating from South Africa’s historic Kimberley Mine, the extraordinary fancy yellow diamond is secured in hand-forged 18k yellow gold talon claws designed to intensify its color. A platinum band with tapered shoulders set with three graduating rows of French- and carr�-cut diamonds completes the design. The ring is accompanied by a GIA Natural Colored Diamond Report, Pragnell boxes, a Certificate of Origin and an original hand-drawn design rendering.

“At more than 22 carats, this diamond’s size alone is extraordinary,” says Jill Burgum, Heritage’s Executive Director of Fine Jewelry, “but combine that with its beautiful fancy yellow color, Internally Flawless clarity, documented Kimberley origin and exceptional Pragnell craftsmanship, and you have a jewel that is remarkable on every level. Its name, Kimberley Sunshine, couldn’t be more appropriate.”

The dazzling jewel leads a carefully curated auction filled with color, craftsmanship and exceptional stones, including fancy yellow and pink diamonds, Padparadscha and Ceylon sapphires, Colombian emeralds and other coveted gems. Collectors also will find designs by some of jewelry’s most celebrated names, including Buccellati, Bvlgari, Cartier, JAR, Jean Schlumberger, Seaman Schepps, Tiffany & Co., Van Cleef & Arpels, Verdura and David Webb, alongside distinctive works by designers such as Ilka Bahn, Jochen Le�n, Nicholas Varney and others.

The Kimberley Sunshine is hardly the auction’s only showstopping diamond. One gorgeous necklace centers a 22.06-carat round brilliant-cut diamond, while an Oscar Heyman ring features a 14.11-carat fancy yellow diamond flanked by triangular-shaped diamonds weighing a total of 4.33 carats. Another substantial solitaire centers an 8.17-carat emerald-cut diamond in platinum, while a Carvin French creation showcases a 7.02-carat oval-shaped diamond. Other highlights include a radiant ring featuring a 5.74-carat emerald-cut diamond and a Jack Kel�ge design centering a 5.77-carat diamond.

“Diamonds will always have an undeniable allure, but this auction really demonstrates just how much personality they can possess,” Burgum says. “Whether it’s the intense warmth of a great yellow diamond, the architectural elegance of an emerald cut or the extraordinary rarity of a natural pink, each stone has its own character. The best jewelry design allows that character to shine.”

Among the other colored-diamond highlights are a Tiffany & Co. ring centered by a 5.76-carat fancy yellow diamond surrounded by calibr�-cut near-colorless diamonds set in platinum, a 7.41-carat fancy yellow diamond ring and a 4.44-carat fancy yellow diamond ring. Offering another coveted splash of natural color is a 1.28-carat fancy pink diamond ring.

The color continues with an exceptional selection of sapphires. A pair of dramatic drop earrings centers Ceylon yellow sapphires weighing approximately 36.75 carats total, each surrounded by diamonds and accompanied by an AGL report identifying the stones as unheated and of Ceylon origin. An 18.81-carat unheated Ceylon yellow sapphire anchors an 18k gold ring, while blue-sapphire highlights include examples weighing approximately 17.45 carats and 14.02 carats. A richly saturated 8.44-carat Burma sapphire and an unheated 8.27-carat Ceylon sapphire further demonstrate the breadth of the offering.

One of the auction’s most distinctive gems is a 1.99-carat Padparadscha sapphire displaying the coveted orangy-pink coloration for which the variety is celebrated. The stone is set in an 18k white gold ring accented with diamonds. A circa 1960 ring centered by an approximately 7.75-carat Colombian emerald and surrounded by a double halo of diamonds provides another burst of saturated color, as does a beautiful Burma ruby ring featuring a 3.84-carat oval-shaped stone.

But serious gemstones need not mean serious jewelry. Among the auction’s most playful offerings is a Boris LeBeau nautical brooch that converts into a tabletop sculpture when attached to its jasper stand. The elaborate jeweled ship features diamond, sapphire and enamel accents, complete with double-serpent figureheads and an articulating rudder. A de Grisogono brooch takes the form of an upside-down monkey swinging from a branch, its body covered in yellow sapphires, its face picked out in diamonds and enamel, and its vine rendered in tsavorite garnets. Tiffany & Co. supplies its own whimsy with an 18k gold brooch depicting a turbaned figure accented with turquoise cabochons, diamonds and sapphires, while Van Cleef & Arpels has some fun with a court jester-themed brooch.

Collectors drawn to earlier periods will find plenty to admire as well. An exquisite circa 1870 Vatican City Workshop micromosaic necklace incorporates religious and symbolic imagery into intricate gold-mounted charms. Other period highlights include a Victorian coral, diamond and enamel suite; an Edwardian Colombian emerald and diamond ring; an Art Deco ring centered by an unheated Burma pink sapphire; and a Cartier Art Deco clip combining diamonds, carved black onyx and enamel.

The auction also includes ladies’ watches from Audemars Piguet, Bvlgari, Cartier, Chopard, Di Modolo, Piaget and Van Cleef & Arpels, rounding out a sale that moves easily between important gemstones, renowned design houses, antique craftsmanship and pure jewelry whimsy.

“What makes this auction so much fun is the range,” Burgum says. “You can fall in love with an extraordinary diamond because of its rarity and provenance, admire an antique jewel for its craftsmanship, or simply smile at a jeweled monkey swinging from your lapel. Fine jewelry is intensely personal, and this auction celebrates all the different reasons people are drawn to it.”