The vivid pink diamond that has been the talk of the jewellery circuit for years now, famously known as the ‘Pink Promise’, is set to break records as the most expensive ornament ever auctioned by Christies’s Hong Kong. The oval-shaped pink Type IIa diamond, has been referred to as, “the Picasso of the pink diamond world,” by Rahul Kadakia, International Head of Jewellery at Christie’s, who adds that, “when you look at the shape of the stone, it’s so elegant. It’s a cross between an oval and a marquise — what we call a “moval”. It’s a fabulous diamond.”
Leading the Magnificent Jewels sale in Hong Kong, this enormous rock, weighing approximately 14.93 carats, is estimated to go for a range between $28 million to $42 million, as Christie’s announced this week. The stone is set within a circular-cut diamond surround, gallery and hoop and is enhanced by circular-cut pink diamonds and mounted in platinum. “A pink diamond is rare to start with,” says Lisa Hubbard, Senior Adviser to Christie’s International Jewellery. “But an oval pink diamond of this weight is very rare, very hard to find. It is a singular diamond in many ways, and just beautiful.”
According to the iconic auction house, Among the major pink diamonds that have set auction records, Christie’s has sold The ‘Princie’ diamond, a cushion-shaped fancy intense pink diamond of 34.65 carats for $39.3 million; The ‘Perfect Pink’, a rectangular-cut fancy intense pink diamond of 14.23 carats for $23.2 million; and the ‘Martian Pink’, a 12.04 carat brilliant-cut fancy intense pink diamond ring by Harry Winston, which sold for $17.4 million. In November 2015, the largest pink diamond of its kind to appear at auction sold for $28.5 million at Christie’s in Geneva.
Throughout history, some of the world’s most famous gems have been pink diamonds, including the 182 carat Darya-i-Nur, part of the Iranian Crown Jewels; the 20.53 carat Hortensia, formerly part of the French Crown Jewels, now at the Louvre; and the 23.60 carat Williamson, property of the Queen of England.
