37-Carat 'Raj Pink' Diamond Could Fetch $30 Million

The 37.30-carat "Raj Pink" diamond will be the top lot at Sotheby’s Geneva Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels sale on November 15 with a hefty estimate of $20 million - $30 million.

“The discovery of any pink diamond is exceptional, but The Raj Pink’s remarkable size and intensity of color places it in the rarefied company of the most important pink diamonds known,” said David Bennett, worldwide chairman of Sotheby’s International Jewellery Division. 

According to Sotheby’s, the rough diamond that yielded The Raj Pink was studied for over a year after its discovery in 2015. It was then entrusted to a master cutter, who crafted it into a cushion-modified brilliant cut.

The diamond was named by its current owner, who requested anonymity. Its meaning is based on the Sanskrit word for king. 

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA), in its report characterized the diamond as an “astonishing stone,” describing its hue as “a very bright and ravishing fancy intense pink color,” adding, “For a diamond to display strong, unmodified pink color like that observed in The Raj Pink is rare, particularly at so considerable a weight.”

The discovery of a gem-quality pink diamond of any size is an extremely rare occurrence. Of all diamonds submitted to the GIA each year, fewer than 0.02% are predominantly pink, Sotheby’s said.

The current record holder for a fancy intense pink diamond is the 24.78-carat “Graff Pink,” which sold for more than $46.1 million at Sotheby’s Geneva, 2010.

“Only on the rarest occasions do diamonds with vibrant, shocking color like the Raj Pink’s emerge,” GIA said. “Only the most privileged and knowledgeable in the industry know of their existence. With an unmodified Fancy Intense Pink hue, substantial size and desirable clarity, the Raj Pink is certainly one of those gems that only few may have the honor of experiencing.” 

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Signed Jewels That Sparkle At Sotheby’s Hong Kong Sale

Unique pair of ruby and diamond bangles by Bhagat and a diamond, sapphire and emerald ‘Panthère’ Ring by Cartier. All photos courtesy of Sotheby's

Among the approximate 196 lots at Sotheby’s Hong Kong “Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite Spring Sale” are an Art Deco mystery clock by Cartier, a pair of ruby and diamond bangles by famed Indian designer, Bhagat, and a gem and diamond necklace by Mauboussin. 

You may have also heard about a particular 59.60-carat pink diamond known as the “Pink Star.” 

While the focus will be deservedly on the Pink Star, there are many other jewels, gems and art objects that will be offered at the April 4 sale at the at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Among the highlights are: 

Art Deco Gem Set and Diamond Mystery Clock, ‘Le Ciel’ by Cartier, 1928
This collection of clocks produced by Cartier between 1922 and 1931 incorporated antique Chinese jade carvings from the 18th and 19th centuries. Le Ciel is one of only thirteen clocks from the collection still known to exist, according to the auction house. The dial is embellished with bejeweled shooting stars and planets on a night sky. The dial is supported by two antique jade carps. Its estimate is $1.36 million - $1.81 million.

Important Jadeite and Diamond Demi-Parure
Being a Hong Kong sale, jadeite will always play starring role. The necklace in this set consists of seven highly translucent oval jadeite cabochons of brilliant emerald green color, embellished with circular-cut diamonds. It comes with a matching set of jadeite cabochon earrings. Its estimate is $2.58 million $3.87 million.

Gem Set and Diamond Pendent Necklace by Mauboussin
This colorful necklace by the Parisian jeweler features circular- and single-cut diamonds, embellished with sapphires, rubies and emeralds, accented by black enamel. The diamonds weigh approximately 18 carats. Its estimate is $765,000 - $970,000.

Fine Diamond Bracelet by Harry Winston
Designed as six rows of pear-shaped diamonds decorated with circular-cut diamonds, the platinum necklace has a total diamond weight of approximately 124.06 carats. Its estimate is $258,000 - $323,000.

Unique Pair of Ruby and Diamond Bangles by Bhagat
Sotheby’s refers to the Indian jewelry brand as “one of the greatest living jewelers,” with works that represent a fusion of artistry and craftsmanship that draws inspiration from classic Indian themes. Each bangle is set with 38 oval rubies (60 carats), to the edge of floral motifs embellished with circular-cut diamonds (30 carats). Its estimate is $252,000 - $361,000.

Diamond, Sapphire and Emerald ‘Panthère’ Ring by Cartier
This panther ring is pavé-set with circular-cut diamonds weighing approximately 4.50 carats, embellished with sapphire spots, emerald eyes and an onyx nose, mounted in platinum. Its estimate is $194,000 - 258,000. 

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59-Carat ‘Pink Star’ Diamond Could Fetch At Least $60 Million In Sotheby’s Second Attempt To Sell It

Courtesy of Sotheby's 

“The Pink Star” diamond will be given a second chance to smash world auction records. The Largest Internally Flawless Fancy Vivid Pink diamond ever graded by the Gemological Institute of America will be placed on the auction block for the second time at Sotheby’s Hong Kong Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite sale on April 4.

The 59.60-carat oval-cut diamond has an estimate is more than $60 million, which, if matched, will be a world auction record. 

The diamond first sold for a remarkable $83 million at Sotheby’s Geneva in November 2013, a figure that remains the highest ever for a diamond to this day. However, in February 2014, in its annual report, Sotheby’s said the consortium of buyers, led by diamond cutter Isaac Wolf, had defaulted on the sale. The diamond was placed in its inventory valued at approximately $72 million. The auction house reportedly had to buy back the diamond for $60 million because it had guaranteed that price to the original seller of the diamond.

Courtesy of Sotheby's

In June 2016 Sotheby’s announced it has entered into a partnership with two other firms, Diacore and Mellen Inc., for the diamond. 

Diacore is a multi-national company that specializes in the manufacturing of large, fancy colored and rare stones. The company said it was the original owner of the 132.50-carat rough diamond that created the Pink Star.

Mellen Inc. is a third generation, family run private jeweler based in New York.

View a video of The Pink Star diamond on Sotheby's website.

“At a time of unprecedented demand for the finest in colored diamonds, I am delighted to be bringing this magnificent stone back to the market,” David Bennett, worldwide chairman of Sotheby’s Jewellery Division, said in a statement. “The extraordinary size of this 59.60-carat diamond, paired with its richness of color, surpasses any known pink diamond recorded in history.” 

Currently, the world’s most valuable diamond sold at auction is the 14.62-carat “Oppenheimer Blue,” which sold for more than $57.5 million at Christie’s Geneva sale held May 18, 2016. The Pink Star has the possibility of not only breaking the record but shattering it. 

Courtesy of Sotheby's

The Pink Star is graded as Type IIa, which is rare for any pink diamond, much less one of this size and color. It originated from a 132.5-carat rough mined by De Beers in 1999 and was cut and polished over a period of two years. The Pink Star is more than twice the size of the Graff Pink—a 24.78-carat fancy intense pink diamond that established a world auction record for any pink diamond sold at auction. It sold for $46.2 million, at Sotheby’s Geneva in 2010. 

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‘Unique Pink’ Sells For Record $31.5 Million At Sotheby’s

A 15.38-carat fancy vivid pink diamond sold for more than $31.5 million at Sotheby’s sale of Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels in Geneva Tuesday, setting a record for a stone of its type. 

Called the “Unique Pink,” it achieved more than $2 million per carat. It is the largest fancy vivid pink diamond ever to come to auction.

It was sold by phone to a private Asian buyer, according to a source who requested anonymity. The buyer doesn’t appear to be Joseph Lau, the Hong Kong billionaire who has gained a reputation for paying exuberant sums at auction for diamonds and gems for his daughters, including the “Blue Moon, which set a world auction records for any diamond, gem or jewel. 

“It is difficult to imagine a diamond that better illustrates the term Vivid Pink than this outstanding stone,” David Bennett, worldwide chairman of Sotheby’s International Jewellery Division, said in a statement. “The color is simply astonishing and, for its size, it is in my experience truly unique.” 

The gem was sold by Cora International, a New York-based company that specializes in cutting and polishing rare important diamonds, including the Blue Moon. 

“Pink diamonds are among the rarest in the world and they are increasingly being viewed as an investment, said Ehud Laniado, Cora International chairman. “Diamonds are beautiful and a treasure of nature, but more than this, they offer an economy of rarity that is making them increasingly attractive to savvy investors.”

It was the top lot of a sale that set a world record for any jewelry auction, achieving more than $175 million with 83 percent of items sold by lot and with 70 percent of lots sold above high estimate. Three lots sold for more than $10 million and six lots for more than $5 million.

In addition the auction set a new record for an online purchase during a live auction with the sale of a pear shaped fancy blue and fancy orangy pink diamond earrings that sold for nearly $6 million, double its high estimate. 

Other records set at the auction held at the Hôtel Beau-Rivage are:

* An Alexandra Reza brooch featuring a 6.64-carat fancy intense blue diamond sold for more than 13.6 million, setting an auction record for a jewel sold by the famed Parisian designer. 

* An 18.51-carat fancy pink diamond pendant sold for more than $9.7 million ($528,021 per carat), setting an auction record for a fancy pink diamond.

* An 8.2-carat fancy purplish pink diamond ring sold for nearly$3.7 ($450,744 per carat), setting a record for a diamond of this color. 

There was a year-over-year 41 percent increase in the number of items sold online. In addition, the sale attracted bidders from 45 countries with 25 percent of bidders from Asia. 

Later today will be the sale of the 14.56-carat “Oppenheimer Blue,” the largest and finest fancy vivid blue diamond ever offered at auction at Christie’s Geneva Magnificent Jewels sale at the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues. If the results of Tuesday’s auction are any indication, it will have a chance to eclipse the “Blue Moon.”

The first of two sessions of the auction is underway and so far sales are brisk with several items selling above the high estimate. 

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‘Oppenheimer Blue,’ ‘Unique Pink’ Set For Auction In Geneva

The Oppenheimer Blue could fetch $45 million

Two rare statement colored diamonds will highlight the upcoming Sotheby’s and Christie’s jewelry auctions in Geneva this week. 

The item getting all the press (and for good reason) is the 14.62-carat “Oppenheimer Blue,” which is the highlight of Christie’s Geneva Magnificent Jewels sale at the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues on Wednesday. It is “the largest and finest fancy vivid blue diamond ever offered at auction,” according to the auction house. 

If it goes beyond its high estimate of $45 million, it could outpace the “Blue Moon of Josephine,” a 12.03-carat cushion-shaped fancy internally flawless vivid blue diamond that set a world auction record of $48.4 million in November, 2015.

The diamond was previously owned by Sir Philip Oppenheimer, a member of the family that once controlled the De Beers Mining Company. He is credited with serving for 45 years as chairman of the Central Selling Organization, the sales cartel set up by De Beers to keep strict control over the diamond supply worldwide. He died in 1995 at the age of 83.

While the Oppenheimer Blue is the star of the Geneva jewelry auctions, there will be several other statement pieces on the auction block. In particular, the “Unique Pink,” (pictured above) which goes on sale at Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels sale at the Hôtel Beau-Rivage. The pear shaped 15.38-carat fancy vivid pink diamond has a high estimate of $38 million. It is the largest fancy vivid pink pear shaped diamond ever offered at auction, according to the auction house. “In my experience, such outstanding vivid Pink color in a stone over 15 carats is truly unique,” said David Bennett, worldwide chairman of Sotheby’s International Jewellery Division.

At the same auction, a pear shaped 7.32-carat fancy vivid blue diamond ring will be offered with a high estimate of $25 million (pictured above).

Meanwhile, Christie’s will be offering earrings with matching fancy vivid orange-yellow diamonds of 12.20 and 11.96 carats (above). One diamond with this color is extremely rare, let alone two matching diamonds. The high estimate for the pair, named “The Oriental Sunrise,” is $12.2 million. The origin of the diamonds is unknown or unavailable. 

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16-Carat Pink Diamond Fetches $28.5 Million, Sets New Auction Record

A 16.08-carat cushion-shaped fancy vivid pink diamond, the largest to be offered at auction, sold for more than $28.5 million, setting a new auction record for any vivid pink diamond at Christie’s Geneva Magnificent Jewels sale Tuesday.

The gem was purchased by a private Asian buyer, who named it “Sweet Josephine,” the auction house said. It sold just above its high estimate of $28 million. 

The diamond is set as a ring, with a double row of pavé-set white diamonds that surround the main stone, and a third row of small pink diamonds underneath. The band is comprised of small circular-cut white diamonds set in platinum.

In almost 250 years of auction history, only three pure vivid pink diamonds of over ten carats have appeared for sale, the auction house said prior to the sale.

While most pink diamonds exhibit a color modifier like purple, orange, brown or grey, this gem shows no trace of a secondary color, Christie’s said. In addition, it’s classified as a Type IIa diamond, which means it contains little if any nitrogen and accounts for fewer than 2 percent of all diamonds.

The pink diamond was the top lot of a sale that achieved nearly $109.5 million, with 80 percent sold by lot and 86 percent by value. More to come. 

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Burmese ‘Pigeon’s Blood’ Ruby Could Fetch $15 Million At Christie’s Hong Kong

A 15-carat Burmese ruby is the top lot at Christie’s Hong Kong Magnificent Jewels sale on December 1.

Known as the “Crimson Flame,” Vickie Sek, deputy chairman and director of Christie’s Asia Jewellery Department, says the jewel is “undoubtedly the most important pigeon’s blood ruby to be offered at auction in Asia.” Its estimate is $10 - $15 million.

The auction at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre will include diamonds, colored diamonds, colored gemstones, jadeite and signed pieces.

In addition to the Crimson Flame, there’s the “Mogok’s Fiery Red” suite by Fai Dee, comprising of a Burmese pigeon’s blood ruby and diamond necklace and a pair of pigeon’s blood ruby and diamond earrings that are being offered as individual lots estimated at $6 - 8 million and $2.9 - 4.1 million, respectively.

Two high quality pink diamonds also will be on offer at the sale: A 7.53-carat Fancy Intense Pink diamond ring (pictured above), with an estimate of $5.8 - 8.3 million; and a 5.22-carat Fancy Intense Pink, IF, cushion-shaped diamond ring (estimate $3.2 - 4.5 million).

A 10.11-carat emerald from an Afghan mine, which the auction house describes as having a “high clarity scarcely seen in emeralds and a flawless gem.” Its estimate is $1 - 1.5 million.

In the jadeite category, a two-strand jadeite bead necklace with a diamond clasp by Cartier (pictured above) has an estimate of $3.5 – 4.8 million. In addition, a jadeite cabochon ring has the same estimate. 

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Kashmir Sapphire Sets Record, Jackie O’s Van Cleef Rubies Fetch $302,000, Spanish Royal Brooch Failed To Sell

Van Cleef & Arpels ruby and diamond ear pendants owned by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

It was a busy evening at at Christie’s Geneva Magnificent Jewels sale held Wednesday. The auction of 341 lots were led by statement diamonds, gems with exceptional origins and natural pearls. However, there were downsides as an historically significant and highly touted Spanish royal brooch was among the 23 percent of lots that did not sell.  

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis ruby ring

One of the most anticipated lots in the sale was Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’ ruby ear clips by Van Cleef & Arpels and a ruby ring. The items sold as a set for $301,959. The jewels were a wedding gift from Aristotle Onassis in 1968. Each ear pendant top is designed as an openwork pavé-set diamond leaf, suspending a detachable cabochon ruby and brilliant-cut diamond cluster pendant. The ring is centered by a heart-shaped cabochon ruby within a brilliant-cut diamond surround to the pavé-set diamond shoulder.

The top lot of the sale was a 5.18-carat rectangular-cut Fancy Vivid Pink diamond on a ring (pictured above) that sold for just over $10.7 million (more than $2 million per carat). The gem was set in gold within an oval-shaped diamond surround. This was followed by a 55.52-carat pear shaped D-color, Flawless diamond that sold for just over $9 million. 

Colored gems of exceptional origins continue to show its strength. A cushion-shaped Kashmir sapphire ring of 35.09 carats (pictured above) sold for a world auction record price of $7.35 million ($209,689 per carat). A cushion-shaped Burmese ruby ring of 30.20 carats sold for $3.4 million ($112,850 per carat). 

A late 19th century single-strand natural pearl necklace, measuring approximately 11.1 to 7.8 mm, sold for more than $3.8 million. 

Historic Maria Christina Royal Devant-de-Corsage brooch that failed to sell

At the other end of the spectrum, the historically significant Maria Christina Royal Devant-de-Corsage brooch was pulled from the auction. It had an estimate of $1.5 to $2 million. The brooch was presented as a wedding gift in November 1879 from King Alfonso XII of Spain to his wife, the Archduchess Maria Christina of Austria, soon to be Queen Consort and then Queen Regent of Spain. The brooch, which was highly touted by Christie’s before the sale, is part of the collection belonging to Baroness Thyssen-Bornemizsa.

The auction of 341 lots realized more than $97.5 million, with 77 percent of items sold by lot and 81 percent sold by value. 

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Pink Diamond Sets Auction Record, Natural Pearls Remain in Demand

8.41-carat internally flawless pink diamond

The jewelry auction market continues to show strength as gems sparkled during sales in Hong Kong and New York. 

Sotheby’s Hong Kong said a world auction record was set for a fancy vivid pink diamond when an 8.41-carat internally flawless pink diamond sold for nearly $17.8 million at its Magnificent Jewels sale on October 7. The internally flawless fancy vivid purple-pink gem is a type IIa diamond, among the most chemically pure with exceptional optical transparency.

According to Sotheby’s, the previous world auction record for a fancy vivid pink diamond and record price per carat for a pink diamond were both achieved by a 5-carat pink diamond that sold for more than $10.7 million, or $2.15 million per carat, in Hong Kong in November 2009.

Per-carat price records were also set for a Cartier Kashmir sapphire ring that sold for $193,975 per carat and for a sapphire and diamond ring that sold for $236,404 per carat.

At Bonhams New York Fine Jewelry auction held October 8, a triple stand natural pearl, gem and diamond necklace (pictured above) fetched $185,000, over three times its high estimate. The piece is completed by a triple pavé diamond flowerhead clasp, enhanced by rubies, emeralds, and sapphires; centered by old European-cut diamonds and a fancy-cut emerald.

The top lot of the evening was a 14.51-carat round brilliant-cut diamond, flanked by tapered baguette-cut diamonds. 

In addition, a ruby and diamond bracelet designed as a graduated band of oval-cut ruby cluster links, enhanced by round brilliant-cut diamond borders, sold for $161,000; and a ruby and diamond pendant/brooch and necklace signed by M. Gerard where the largest ruby weighed 8 carats, achieved $106,250, soaring past its high estimate of $70,000.

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8.41-Carat Purple-Pink Diamond May Set Auction Record

An 8.41-carat pear-shaped internally flawless fancy vivid purple-pink diamond is being priced to set a world-auction record for price per carat. It will appear as the top lot at the Sotheby’s Hong Kong Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite Autumn Sale on October 7. 

The diamond is expected to fetch $12.8 to $15.4 million, or a high estimate of more than $1.8 million per carat, the highest per-carat pre-sale estimate for any pink diamond to date, according to the international auction house.

It is “arguably the most desirable pink diamond to appear at auction in recent years,” Sotheby’s said in a statement. Internally flawless vivid or fancy intense pink diamonds of more than 8 carats are “virtually unseen.” 

“This color is one of the most beautiful and concentrated shades of pink in diamonds that I have seen and, combined with the exceptional clarity, it is not surprising that it would command the highest per-carat pre-sale estimate for any pink diamond to date,” said Quek Chin Yeow, deputy chairman, Asia, and chairman international Jewellery, Asia.

The unmounted purple-pink diamond was cut from a 19.54-carat rough mined by De Beers, with the final cutting completed in New York. It will tour Singapore, Taipei, New York, London, Geneva and Hong Kong prior to the auction.

The current record price ever paid at auction for a diamond, or any gemstone, is the Graff Pink, a 24.76-carat, Fancy Intense pink diamond, purchased by Lawrence Graff in November 2010 for more than $46.1 million. The record price per carat for a fancy vivid pink diamond is more than $2.1 million per carat set by a 5-carat diamond, sold in Hong Kong in January 2009 for more than$10.7 million

Pink diamonds have been coveted by rulers and prized by connoisseurs since they were first discovered in the mines of India centuries ago. Many of the great gems of history are pink diamonds, including the Williamson presented to Queen Elizabeth II at her wedding, the Hortense from the Crown Jewels of France, the Darya-i-Nur from the Iranian Crown Jewels and the Agra documented as having belonged to Babur, founder of the Mogul Empire.

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Necklace With Two Golconda Diamonds Could Fetch $10 Million

The Eye of Golconda

“The Eye of Golconda,” A necklace featuring two statement Golconda diamonds will be the top lot at Christie’s Hong Kong Magnificent Jewels auction on May 27.

The diamond pendant and emerald necklace has a 40.05-carat pear-shaped diamond and a 6.76-carat cushion-shaped diamond, both graded by the Gemological Institute of America as D color with internally flawless clarity. The former, the necklace’s pendant centerpiece, is the largest Golconda diamond ever available for auction in Asia. The necklace has a pre-auction estimate of $8.5 - $10 million.

Both diamonds are graded as Type IIa, which are a trait of diamonds from mines in the historic Golconda area of India. Type IIa diamonds represent less than 2 percent of the world’s production of gem-quality diamonds and are considered the purest form of diamonds and show exceptional optical transparency.

Golconda diamonds are often described as “Diamonds of First Water,” according to the auction house, because they are characterized by “an almost indefinable water-clear appearance that attest to their diaphanous quality and a degree of transparency rarely seen in stones from other localities.” Some of the most famous diamonds in the world are believed to have come from mines in the Golconda region including the Koh-i-noor, Darya-e Nur, the Nur-Ul-Ain, and The Hope Diamond.

The auction will have more than 300 lots with a combined estimate of more than $100 million. It includes several rare colored diamonds, colorless diamonds, rare Jadeite jewels, Burmese rubies and sapphires, and Colombian emeralds. Exclusive vintage jewelry pieces from Bulgari, Harry Winston and Van Cleef & Arpels complete the sale.

Other highlights of the auction include:

* A 9.38-carat pear-shaped fancy intense pink diamond on a ring with an estimate of $5.8 - $8.3 million.

* Two unmounted 26.08 and 26.20 carats D color flawless, Type IIa brilliant-cut diamonds. Each diamond has an estimate of $4 - $6.5 million. They have been awarded "Excellent" for polish, symmetry and cut grade, meaning that they exhibit perfectly aligned facets with an accuracy of up to 1/200th of an inch, while each of the facets is worked to the greatest possible smoothness.

* It wouldn’t be a Hong Kong jewelry auction without statement jadeite pieces. The top lot in this category is a jadeite bangle with an estimate of $3.8 - $6.5 million. Christie’s says it has the “perfect balance of the ideal color, texture and translucency” displaying a “vivid emerald green color with a saturation and tone that are neither too dark nor too light.”

* A Burmese “pigeon’s blood red” ruby and diamond jewelry suite by James W. Currens for Faidee has an estimate of $4 - $6.25 million.

The auction will be held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre with public viewings beginning May 22.

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The Pink Star Diamond Fetches World Auction Record Of $83 Million

The 59.6-carat Pink Star diamond lived up to its hype by selling for a world record price of approximately $83.4 million at Sotheby’s Geneva Magnificent Jewels sale Wednesday.

When introducing the internally flawless fancy pink vivid diamond, David Bennett, chairman of Sotheby’s Jewellery Division in Europe and the Middle East, called it “one of the most remarkable gems to ever appear at auction.”

Bidding opened at 48 million Swiss francs and gradually climbed to 64 million Swiss francs. After a pause it quickly climbed to 67 million francs ($73.2 million), shattering its $60 million high estimate. Nervous laughter could be heard on Sotheby’s live feed as the bidding slowly pushed up to the winning bid 68 million Swiss francs. Commission fees pushed the final total to more than 76.3 million Swiss francs ($83.4 million).

The diamond is graded as Type IIa, which is rare for any pink diamond, much less one of this size and color. Cut over a period of two years, The Pink Star is more than twice the size of the Graff Pink—a 24.78-carat fancy intense pink diamond that established a world auction record for a diamond and any gemstone or jewel at $46.2 million, at Sotheby’s Geneva in 2010. The current record price per carat for a fancy vivid pink diamond of $2,155,332 is set by a 5-carat diamond, sold in Hong Kong in January 2009. The current record price for any colored diamond sold at auction is $2,398,151 per carat, for “the Orange,” a 14.82-carat fancy vivid orange diamond that sold a day earlier at Christie’s Geneva Magnificent Jewels auction. The per carat price for the The Pink Star has yet to be released and will be updated.

Cut by Steinmetz Diamonds over a period of nearly two years from a 132.5-carat rough, the diamond was first unveiled to the public in May 2003 as the “Steinmetz Pink.” The stone was first sold privately in 2007 and renamed The Pink Star.

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A Big Pink and a Big Blue Diamond Fetched Big Bucks At Christie’s

Two fancy colored diamonds were the top sellers at Christie’s New York Magnificent Jewels sale Tuesday. Meanwhile, the diamond engagement ring that Kris Humphries gave to Kim Kardashian at the same sale made lots of noise but ended up only having the 12th highest sale price at $749,000.

The top lots among the 389 offered were:

* An 8.77-carat rectangular-cut fancy intense pink VVS1 diamond that sold for more than $6.3 million, or $721,200 per carat (top photo). The buyer was Moussaieff Jewellers, a luxury retail jeweler with stores in London and Geneva.

* A 3.81-carat rectangular-cut fancy vivid blue VS1 diamond that sold for nearly $4 million, or more than $1 million per carat (pictured above). The buyer requested anonymity.

The other top lots are as follows:

* A 25.30-carat rectangular-cut D color VVS1 diamond that sold for more than $3.1 million.

* An 18.28-carat cushion-cut D color VVS2 diamond that sold for more than $2 million.

* A 15.88-carat cushion-cut Kashmir sapphire that sold for more than $1.8 million.

* A 10.75-carat rectangular-cut D color internally flawless diamond that sold for nearly $1.4 million.

* A 17-carat rectangular-cut F color VS1 diamond ring that sold for more than $1.2 million. The ring was part of Diana Dollar Knowles Collection. Knowles, who died March 4 at the age of 95, was a noted San Francisco philanthropist and patron of the arts.

The auction at Christie’s Rockefeller Center headquarters took in more than $46.6 million with 75 percent of the items sold by lot and 85 percent sold by value.

However, the sale also notable for a number of big-ticket items that failed to sell. Among them:

* An 18k pink gold and platinum ring set with a 2.47-carat heart-shaped fancy purple-pink diamond and flanked on either side by a modified heart- shaped fancy intense blue diamond, weighing approximately 1.22 and 1.16 carats. Its high estimate was $1.55 million.

* A 37.20-carat modified pear-shaped fancy deep brown-yellow diamond mounted in 18k rose gold with a high estimate of $800,000.

* An 11.70-carat circular-cut diamond, with the shoulders set with baguette-cut diamonds, mounted in platinum that had a high estimate of $800,000.

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Sotheby’s To Sell ‘Most Valuable Diamond Ever to be Offered at Auction’

The 59.60 carat Pink Star may fetch $60 million.

Sotheby’s Geneva will offer a 59.60-carat internally flawless vivid pink diamond at its Magnificent Jewels sale on November 13. Known as The Pink Star, the auction house says it is the most valuable diamond ever to be offered at auction. It is estimated to sell for more than $60 million. For those counting that’s more than $1 million per carat.

The oval cut gem is the largest internally flawless fancy vivid pink diamond that the Gemological Institute of America has ever graded, the auction house said.

David Bennett, chairman of Sotheby’s Jewellery Division in Europe and the Middle East and chairman of Sotheby’s Switzerland, said the diamond is one of the most important gems he has ever seen in his 35-year career.
 

“Its exceptional richness of color … combined with its extraordinary size, are characteristics that surpass those of any known pink diamond in state, royal, or private collections,” he said. “It is difficult to exaggerate the rarity of vivid pink diamonds weighing only five carats, so this 59.60 carat stone is simply off any scale, and passes, I believe, into the ranks of the earth’s greatest natural treasures.”

The diamond is also graded as Type IIa, rare for a pink diamond of this size and color. Cut over a period of two years, The Pink Star is still more than twice the size of the Graff Pink—a 24.78-carat fancy intense pink diamond that established a world auction record for a diamond and any gemstone or jewel at $46.2 million, at Sotheby’s Geneva in 2010.

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