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One of the finest Vivid Pink diamonds to ever appear for sale at auction brought in more than twice its low-end pre-sale estimate at Christie’s annual fall jewelry sale Dec. 1, 2009, in Hong Kong.
The 5-carat, cushion-cut diamond, which is set in an 18-karat platinum rose-gold ring by Graff and flanked on each side by a shield-shaped diamond, is the largest fancy vivid pink potentially flawless diamond to ever be offered for sale at auction, according to a news release issued by Christie’s. The pre-auction estimate was $5 million to $7.05 million (U.S. dollars); the price realized was $10,828,889, including the buyer’s premium.
While the majority of natural pink diamonds exhibit a color modifier like purple, orange or gray, “The Vivid Pink” shows no trace of a secondary color, making it exceedingly rare both commercially and naturally, the news release said. The stone has been determined to be a type IIa pink diamond, which is very rare in nature and has few inclusions. The color in pink diamonds can be caused by impurities as well as the diamond’s exposure to heat and pressure, according to the Christie’s Web site.
The pink diamond was one of 255 featured lots valued in excess of $33 million from makers including Bulgari, Cartier, Graff, Van Cleef & Arpels, Tiffany and Harry Winston. Not all 255 lots sold; the sales total was $48,001,800.
Click here to check out all of the results . Results for other featured pieces in this auction include:
An oval-shaped, 9.03 carat fancy vivid yellow diamond set in a ring by Graff sold for $1,537,365, outstripping the pre-auction estimate of $900,000 to $1.2 million.
A 16.65-carat cushion-shaped Kashmir sapphire and diamond "Pierres de Caractere" ring by Van Cleef & Arpels sold for $2,408,436; the pre-auction estimate was $725,901 to $1,037,002. The sapphire is the desirable and distinctive “cornflower” blue color. It is mounted in an 18-karat white-gold ring and features brilliant-cut diamond openwork gallery and half-hoop. The gem appears it has not had any thermal enhancement, the catalog said.
An 16.99-carat unmounted diamond brought $2,916,567; the pre-sale estimate was $2,203,628 to $3,240,630. The gem was determined to be a type IIa diamond, which is considered the most chemically-pure type of diamond and which often has exceptional optical transparency. It is D color, flawless clarity and excellent cut, polish and symmetry, according to the online catalog.
A diamond and colored-diamond ring by Tiffany & Co. sold for $1,169,219. The fancy, intense, blue diamond was rated with VS1 clarity and weighed in at 3.02 carats. The pre-auction estimate was $972,189 to $1,296,252.
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