The Pink Star is the largest Internally Flawless Fancy Vivid pink diamond ever graded by the GIA. Unveiled at Sotheby’s in London today, it is heading to the auction block at Sotheby’s Hong Kong on 4 April with a pre-sale estimate in excess of $60 million.
David Bennett, Worldwide Chairman of Sotheby’s Jewellery Division, says: “At a time of unprecedented demand for the finest in coloured diamonds, I am delighted to be bringing this magnificent stone back to the market. The extraordinary size of this 59.60-carat diamond, paired with its richness of colour, surpasses any known pink diamond recorded in history.”
Some of you will have picked up on the fact that Bennett refers to “bringing the stone back to the market”. This is the same Pink Star that went under the hammer in 2013 at Sotheby’s Geneva, achieving a new world record of $83 million. However, the buyer failed to complete the purchase and Sotheby’s sensed the time is now right to once again find a new home for this diamond.
Mined in 1999 by De Beers in Africa, the 132.50-carat rough was carefully cut over a period of almost two years. Today, the oval-cut pink diamond is currently set into a ring.
The current record holder for the most valuable pink diamond is held by the Graff Pink, a 24.78-carat emerald-cut Fancy Intense Pink diamond that sold at Sotheby’s Geneva for $46.2 million ($1.8 million per carat). Though half the size of the Pink Star, its Fancy Intense Pink colour helped achieve the record-breaking price. However, the most expensive diamond ever sold per carat is the Blue Moon of Josephine, with each of its 12.03 carats worth over $4 million.
All eyes will be on the Pink Star on 4 April as the highlight of Sotheby’s Hong Kong sale. Expect to hear sighs of relief if the diamond passes its previous value of $83 million.
