A remarkably rare giant pink diamond is set to be auctioned in Geneva in November, commanding a hefty presale estimate of $US35 million ($AU54 million).
The Fortune Pink will appear at the Christie’s Magnificent Jewels sale on 8 November, with the 18-carat pear-shaped fancy vivid pink diamond expected to fetch a historic return.
Angela Berden, Christie’s senior jewellery specialist, said the rarity of Fortune Pink couldn’t be understated.
“It’s a beautiful stone, it’s extremely rare to find a pink diamond, vivid pink diamond, of this size,” she said.
“The colour saturation of this stone is so difficult to find in nature, and then when you find a crystal with that weight, with that colour, and a very good clarity, that’s just really rare.”
Christie’s international head of jewellery Rahul Kadakia suggested that the diamond may attract the interest of Asian collectors in particular. “Weighing in at an auspicious 18.18 carats, the weight in fact brings luck to the new owner.”
Some Asian cultures, including China, associate the number 18 with good fortune.
To date, the largest vivid pink diamond sold at Christie’s has been the 18-carat Winston Pink Legacy, which sold to jeweller Harry Winston for $US50.4 million in 2018, setting a world record per-carat price.
Williamson Pink Star
Another stunning pink diamond – the Williamson Pink Star – is set to be under the hammer this week.
On 5 October, the 11.15-carat cushion cut fancy vivid pink diamond will be auctioned at Sotheby’s in Hong Kong with a presale estimate of $US21 million ($AU 30 million).
The Williamson Star is the second largest diamond of that colour and clarity to feature at auction. The only diamond to exceed it is the 59-carat CTF Pink Star, which returned $US71.2 million ($AU104.7 million) at Sotheby’s in 2017.
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