In the realm of luxury and connoisseurship, coloured diamonds hold a special place as the rarest and most coveted gems.
Among these prized jewels, pink diamonds are particularly sought after for their enchanting hues and mesmerizing brilliance. Sotheby’s is proud to present a pink diamond of unparalleled stature: The Eternal Pink.
Weighing 10.57 carats, this cushion-cut, Internally Flawless Fancy Vivid Purplish Pink Diamond is the most vivid pink diamond ever to come to market, with an astonishing estimate of over $35 million, setting a new record for price per carat at $3,311,258.
The Eternal Pink: A Gemstone of Unrivaled Beauty
The Eternal Pink stands apart from other pink diamonds, exuding a captivating brightness and unmatched colour intensity that has been described by experts as a glowing aura.
This exceptional gemstone is synonymous with the pinnacle of excellence in every aspect, making it the quintessential pink diamond.
Shattering Records: The Most Valuable Purplish Pink Diamond at Auction
As the most valuable purplish pink diamond to appear at auction, The Eternal Pink is set to challenge the price per carat record for any diamond or gemstone.
This record was previously held by The Williamson Pink Star, an 11.15-carat Fancy Vivid Pink Internally Flawless diamond, which sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in October 2022 for a staggering $5,178,124 per carat.
A Global Showcase: The Eternal Pink’s Journey
In celebration of Sotheby’s 50th anniversary in Asia, The Eternal Pink will be officially unveiled and showcased in Hong Kong from April 1st to 7th.
Following its debut, the gemstone will embark on a worldwide tour, with exhibitions scheduled in Dubai, Singapore, Shanghai, Taiwan, and Geneva.
The full list of dates will be released in due course. The Eternal Pink will then take centre stage at Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels auction in New York on June 8th.
Crafting the Masterpiece: From Rough to Refined
The 23.78-carat rough that produced The Eternal Pink was mined by De Beers at the Damtshaa mine in Botswana.
Over a six-month period, Diacore’s team of artisans meticulously fashioned the rough into an exquisite cushion cut, maximizing the diamond’s vibrant “bubblegum” colour.
The Rarity of Pink Diamonds: A Confluence of Nature’s Wonders
When evaluating diamonds, the four Cs—Carat, Color, Clarity, and Cut—are crucial. For coloured diamonds, colour is paramount and prevails over other criteria.
Of all the diamonds submitted to the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), fewer than 3% are classified as coloured diamonds, with pink being one of the rarest natural hues.
Interestingly, the cause of the pink hue remains a mystery. While other diamonds derive their colour from specific trace elements, such as nitrogen for yellow diamonds or boron for blue diamonds, the source of the pink hue is still not fully understood by experts.
It is believed that the colour may be a result of the stone’s formation process deep within the Earth.
The Pinnacle of Color: Fancy Vivid Purplish Pink
Of all colour grades, “Fancy Vivid” represents the highest possible designation for a coloured diamond.
The modifying purplish hue often results in an enchanting and vibrant feminine tone that is highly desirable. Polished as a cushion cut, The Eternal Pink showcases a captivating combination of facets that enhances its exquisite colour.
With both Fancy Vivid Purplish Pink colour and Internally Flawless clarity, this gemstone is truly a treasure of nature.
Increasing Value: The Rarity of Natural Pink Diamonds
Considering their scarcity, it is no surprise that the value of pink diamonds has risen considerably over the centuries.
The rarity of a natural diamond like the 10.57-carat Fancy Vivid Purplish Pink is nearly impossible to overstate. In their extensive research on pink diamonds, the GIA has encountered only a handful of gemstones classified as Fancy Vivid Purplish Pink, attesting to The Eternal Pink’s uniqueness.
In addition to receiving the highest colour and clarity grades, the diamond is part of the rare subgroup of Type IIa diamonds, which comprise less than 2% of all gem diamonds.
Type IIa diamonds are the purest chemically and often exhibit extraordinary optical transparency.
Sotheby’s Legacy: A History of Showcasing Exceptional Pink Diamonds
Sotheby’s boasts a distinguished history of auctioning some of the most valuable and Internally Flawless pink diamonds in the world.
This includes the record-breaking CTF Pink Star, a 59.60-carat oval mixed-cut Fancy Vivid Pink Internally Flawless diamond, which sold for $71.2 million—a world auction record for a diamond, gemstone, or jewel—in Hong Kong in April 2017.
Just five months prior, Sotheby’s sold the Williamson Pink Star, an 11.15-carat Fancy Vivid Pink Internally Flawless diamond, for $57.7 million in a single-lot auction at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, setting the world record price per carat for any diamond or gemstone.
Images: Sotheby’s