Events & AwardsOct 27, 2025
Hill Management Group Hired to Help Atlanta Jewelry ShowHill Management Group will oversee, market, and produce next year’s spring show.
AuctionsJan 28, 2021
126 Mineral Specimens from Collector Hester Diamond Up for Auction
The Sotheby’s sale features minerals from well-known historic sources as well as a number of large and rare specimens.
Always keen on aesthetics, the late Hester Diamond showcased her minerals in open shelves in colors that complemented the specimens.
New York—The late Hester Diamond has been described as a fearless collector, and now everyone can get a peek at what she amassed over the years.
Diamond was a prominent New York interior designer and philanthropist (and mother of Beastie Boy “Mike D”), and now her collection of art and minerals is going up on the block in a single-owner auction.
The sale will take place in New York this week as part of Sotheby’s annual “Masters Week” auctions.
According to Sotheby’s, the Bronx native loved art from a young age, visiting New York City’s museums almost every afternoon after finishing her classes at Hunter College.
After starting her career as a social worker in the early 1950s but wanting to pursue a career in the arts, Diamond took a position at leading antiques gallery Stair and Company in Manhattan.
Through her work there, Diamond and her first husband, Harold, became friends with Martha Jackson, who owned an important gallery of cutting-edge contemporary art on 57th Street.
The couple soon became immersed in the art world, and Diamond also established a thriving interior design business, which got off the ground thanks to her help decorating the home of a Johnson & Johnson heir.
Harold died in 1983, and Diamond wed again, marrying Ralph Kaminsky. She continued to collect art, selling her modern art collection to focus on Old Masters, and took a unique approach to displaying the collection in her home, contrasting modern and contemporary pieces with vibrant colors, angular shapes and hard edges.
She used this same approach with her mineral collection, displaying the specimens on a series of custom-made, open-air shelves crafted in colors that mimicked the hues of the minerals, as seen in the image at the top of the article.
The presentation created a 360-degree gallery in her office and throughout her home.
True to her love for aesthetics, rather than acquiring pieces based on geology, Diamond preferred the specimens with colors and a look that spoke to her, favoring rare and significant sizes.
Diamond was a prominent New York interior designer and philanthropist (and mother of Beastie Boy “Mike D”), and now her collection of art and minerals is going up on the block in a single-owner auction.
The sale will take place in New York this week as part of Sotheby’s annual “Masters Week” auctions.
According to Sotheby’s, the Bronx native loved art from a young age, visiting New York City’s museums almost every afternoon after finishing her classes at Hunter College.
After starting her career as a social worker in the early 1950s but wanting to pursue a career in the arts, Diamond took a position at leading antiques gallery Stair and Company in Manhattan.
Through her work there, Diamond and her first husband, Harold, became friends with Martha Jackson, who owned an important gallery of cutting-edge contemporary art on 57th Street.
The couple soon became immersed in the art world, and Diamond also established a thriving interior design business, which got off the ground thanks to her help decorating the home of a Johnson & Johnson heir.
Harold died in 1983, and Diamond wed again, marrying Ralph Kaminsky. She continued to collect art, selling her modern art collection to focus on Old Masters, and took a unique approach to displaying the collection in her home, contrasting modern and contemporary pieces with vibrant colors, angular shapes and hard edges.
She used this same approach with her mineral collection, displaying the specimens on a series of custom-made, open-air shelves crafted in colors that mimicked the hues of the minerals, as seen in the image at the top of the article.
The presentation created a 360-degree gallery in her office and throughout her home.
True to her love for aesthetics, rather than acquiring pieces based on geology, Diamond preferred the specimens with colors and a look that spoke to her, favoring rare and significant sizes.
This fine aquamarine on matrix is from the Gilgit District of northern Pakistan. Its current bid of $7,500 is already above its pre-sale high estimate of $6,000.
Diamond died in January 2020 at the age of 91.
Now, 126 minerals specimens from her collection—sourced from over a century of important discoveries across the globe and gathered by Diamond over the last three decades—will go up for auction.
The specimens feature minerals from some of the most well-known and important historic sources, like rhodochrosite and smoky quartz with amazonite from Colorado or a large Colombian emerald crystal.
Her collection also reflects the contemporary discoveries in Asia driving mineral collecting today, like the important Chinese fluorite, calcite and pyromorphite finds.
Highlights include a pink tourmaline in quartz, estimated to go for $20,000-$30,000, and a pink fluorite on pyrite, also estimated at up to $30,000.
In an interview with Sotheby’s, Will Larson of Pala Minerals called the pink fluorite his favorite due to its rarity and its coloring, noting, “pink is the most sought-after color of the ever-popular fluorite and the aesthetics on highly lustrous golden pyrite cubes are incredible.”
There is also an important smoky quartz with amazonite from Colorado ($20,000-$30,000); a bicolor tourmaline from Afghanistan ($12,000-$18,000); and a rhodochrosite from the Sweet Home Mine in Colorado ($8,000-$12,000).
See some of the highlights in the gallery below.
Sized at 43.0 x 32.0 x 7.0 mm, this polished lozenge-form Australian opal occurs as a thick seam on matrix. Its current bid as of Wednesday was at $12,000, compared with a pre-sale estimate range of $2,000-$3,000.
A kunzite specimen from Kunar Valley in Afghanistan; the pre-sale estimate high is $5,400 but the current bid is $8,500.
This fine emerald specimen is from the Coscuez mine in Muzo Municipality, Boyacá, Colombia. It had a pre-sale estimate of $3,000-$5,000 but as of Wednesday afternoon, bidding had already reached $16,000.
A bicolor tourmaline from Kunar in the Nuristan Province of Afghanistan ($12,000-$18,000)
A rhodochrosite from the storied Sweet Home Mine in Alma Park County, Colorado ($8,000-$12,000)
A smoky quartz with amazonite from Pikes Peak in Teller County, Colorado
This amethyst came from Jacksons Crossroads in Wilkes County, Georgia. It’s being sold without reserve, but it’s $8,000 current bid is already nearly three times the pre-sale estimate high of $3,000.
“Fearless: The Collection of Hester Diamond Part II,” is taking place online and ends tomorrow (Jan. 29); several specimens are being sold without reserve, meaning there is no minimum price.
To view all mineral lots before the sale closes Friday, visit Sothebys.com.
This part of the auction also features memorabilia from rap-rock group the Beastie Boys, as Diamond’s son is Michael Diamond, better known to Beastie Boy fans as “Mike D.”
Meanwhile, the selection of art works on offer in Part I of the auction (held for one day only, Friday, Jan. 29) features an “unparalleled selection” of Old Master paintings and sculpture, including examples of early Italian Renaissance painting, early Netherlandish painting, and several terracotta, marble and wood European sculpture from masters.
Leading the collection is a rare sculpture by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and his father, Pietro, called “Autumn.”
Estimated to sell for between $8 and $12 million, it is one of only a handful of sculptures by Bernini and his father that remain in private hands, Sotheby’s said.
View those lots online ahead of the live auction.
Editor’s note: The headline of this story was edited on Feb. 2, 2021, to reflect that there were 126 minerals in the sale, not 127, as the auction house initially confirmed, The text in the story also was updated to reflect the change in number.
More on Auctions
The Latest
CrimeOct 27, 2025
Arrests Made in Louvre Jewel Heist One of the individuals was apprehended at the airport as he was trying to flee the country.
MajorsOct 27, 2025
Target to Cut 1,800 Corporate JobsThe retailer, which has faced struggling sales in recent quarters, is looking to streamline its operations.
Brought to you by
DESERT DIAMONDS: The Newest Trend in Natural Diamond JewelryFrom sunlit whites to smoky whiskeys, introduce your clients to extraordinary diamonds in colors as unique as their love.
GradingOct 24, 2025
DMIA to Hold Diamond Testing Instrument DemoThe workshop will give attendees the chance to try out and ask questions about three different diamond verification instruments.
Weekly QuizOct 16, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
CrimeOct 24, 2025
Video Emerges of Louvre Jewelry Robbers Fleeing the Scene The footage shows two of the jewelry heist suspects descending from the second floor of the museum and then escaping via scooter.
CollectionsOct 24, 2025
Piece of the Week: Wyld Box Jewelry’s ‘Ray of Light’ EarringsFounder and designer Rosanna Fiedler looked to a vintage Cartier clutch when designing the sunlight-inspired drop earrings.
Brought to you by
Are Earrings an Overlooked Category? What Retailers Need to Know NowAs the holiday season quickly approaches, consider stocking one category that sometimes gets overlooked: earrings.
FinancialsOct 23, 2025
Jewelry Sales Resilient Despite Struggles at LVMH, KeringThe luxury conglomerates faced a challenging Q3 amid geopolitical and economic tensions.
SourcingOct 23, 2025
Petra Diamonds Turns to Shareholders to Raise Capital The struggling diamond mining company, which owns the historic Cullinan mine, has launched a rights issue to raise about $25 million.
WatchesOct 23, 2025
‘Million Dollar Hip Hop Watches’ Recounts Watch HistoryThe book details the journey of watches as symbols of hard-earned success in hip-hop for artists like 2Pac, Jay-Z, and more.
AuctionsOct 23, 2025
Freeman’s | Hindman Names New VP, Senior Specialist for Jewelry & WatchesAlexis Vourvoulis, who most recently worked at Tiffany & Co., brings more than two decades of jewelry experience to her new role.
TrendsOct 22, 2025
The Taylor Swift Effect: Antique Diamonds EditionThe superstar’s August engagement put the stamp of approval on an already hot engagement ring trend.
TrendsOct 22, 2025
Don’t Forget These Diamond Jewelry Trends When Stocking for the HolidaysRetailers should offer classic styles with a twist that are a perfect fit for layered looks, experts say.
AuctionsOct 22, 2025
Pink Diamond, Vanderbilt Jewels to Headline Phillips’ Geneva AuctionThe nearly 7-carat fancy vivid purplish pink diamond could sell for around $9 million.
SourcingOct 22, 2025
In ‘Storied Diamond,’ Jared Jewelers Is Emphasizing the Journey The retailer’s new collection of engagement rings and fashion jewelry is set with natural diamonds that are traceable via blockchain.
CollectionsOct 22, 2025
Tiffany & Co.’s ‘Bird on a Rock’ Finds New PerchChief Artistic Officer Nathalie Verdeille has reimagined the iconic design in both figurative and abstract creations.
Events & AwardsOct 22, 2025
JFC Kicks Off Halloween Costume ChallengeFive dollars buys one vote toward an industry professional you want to see dressed up as a hero, or a villain, this Halloween.
Events & AwardsOct 22, 2025
Hillsborough Antique Show Gets New OwnerRecently acquired by KIL Promotions, the November edition of the public show in San Mateo, California, will be held Nov. 7-9.
GradingOct 21, 2025
GIA Examines Rare Bicolor Pink DiamondThe stone’s two zones, one pink and one colorless, may have formed at two different times, the lab said.
MajorsOct 21, 2025
Pomellato Brings ‘Global Attitude’ to Rodeo Drive FlagshipHollywood glamour meets Milanese sophistication in the design of Pomellato’s new store in Beverly Hills, California.
Lab-GrownOct 21, 2025
Grown Brilliance Opens First FlagshipThe New York City store showcases a chandelier with 1,500 carats of lab-grown diamonds designed by an FIT student.
Events & AwardsOct 21, 2025
‘Douriean Fletcher: Jewelry of the Afrofuture’ Opens at MADThe Museum of Arts and Design's new exhibition features 75 pieces by the designer, best known for her work in the “Black Panther” films.
AuctionsOct 20, 2025
Sotheby's To Auction 10-Carat Vivid Pink DiamondMaking its auction debut, "The Glowing Rose" is expected to fetch $20 million at the November jewelry sale in Geneva.
SourcingOct 20, 2025
2 Mozambique Police Officers Killed at Gemfields’ Ruby MineThey were attacked on Oct. 15, as approximately 40 miners without licenses marched on the mine’s gate.
CrimeOct 20, 2025
See the ‘Priceless’ Jewels Stolen During Daytime Heist at the Louvre It took the masked thieves less than 10 minutes to steal eight irreplaceable jewels from two display cases in the museum’s Apollo Gallery.
SourcingOct 20, 2025
Pristine Gems Names New Director of European SalesGemologist Lauren Gayda has previously worked at The Clear Cut, Taylor & Hart, and Effy Jewelry.
