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| 12.04-ct. fancy intense pink Type IIa round brilliant-cut diamond ring, by Harry Winston. © Christie's Images Limited 2012 |
The largest round fancy intense pink diamond to ever appear at auction will be part of Christie’s Hong Kong Magnificent Jewels sale on May 29. The 12-ct. diamond is estimated to fetch $8 - $10 million.
The extremely rare diamond is owned by a private collector. It was purchased from Harry Winston in 1976—the same year, the United States launched its first satellite on a mission to Mars: The Viking landers. Ronald Winston named the diamond the “Martian Pink” to honor the historic event.
The Martian Pink is one of two known significant sized round pink diamonds in this world—the other being the 23.60-carat Williamson Pink diamond that was presented to Queen Elizabeth II on the occasion of her wedding in 1947. While most natural pink diamonds exhibit a color modifier like purple, orange or grey, the gem that is up for auction “shows absolutely no trace of a secondary color, making it exceedingly rare,” the auction house said. “Combined with a Type IIa characteristic, the diamond shows an extraordinary limpidity together with a lovely intense pink coloration.”
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| 11.85-ct. D VVS1 potential round brilliant-cut diamond ring, by Harry Winston. © Christie's Images Limited 2012 |
A second item from Harry Winston, an 11.85-carat D VVS1 Potentially Flawless round brilliant-cut diamond, is being offered. “Its dimensions, perfected by the round brilliant cut, ensures a stunning visual display of brilliance,” the auction house said. “Combined with top D color, this brilliant-cut diamond is a wonderful example of the classic round stone.” The auction estimate is $1.7 - $2.5 million.