A rare 10.08-carat fancy vivid pink diamond ring, named The Glowing Rose, is set to take centre stage at Sotheby’s upcoming High Jewellery sale in Geneva on 12 November. Expected to achieve around USD 20 million, the stone represents one of the most important pink diamonds to reach the auction block in recent years.
This exceptional cushion brilliant-cut diamond crafted by luxury jeweller Boodles originates from a 21-carat rough unearthed in Angola in 2023. Its vivid, pure pink hue and balanced proportions exemplify the rarest qualities of natural fancy coloured diamonds. According to Sotheby’s, it is only the third cushion cut vivid pink diamond over 10 carats to appear at auction within the past decade.
The cushion cut, recently popularised by Taylor Swift’s engagement ring, has become increasingly sought after among collectors for its romantic and timeless appeal.
Sotheby’s has a strong record of achieving exceptional results for vivid pink diamonds. In 2022, the auction house sold the Williamson Pink Star an 11.15 carat, fancy vivid pink, internally flawless diamond for USD 57.7 million in Hong Kong. The following year, a 10.57 carat vivid purplish-pink diamond fetched USD 34.8 million in New York. Earlier this year, Sotheby’s Geneva achieved USD 21.5 million for the Mediterranean Blue, a 10.03-carat fancy vivid blue diamond.
“With the continued global demand for rare coloured diamonds, we are delighted to present The Glowing Rose,” said Jessica Wyndham, Head of High Jewellery at Sotheby’s Geneva. “Following the remarkable success of the Mediterranean Blue, this sale offers collectors another extraordinary opportunity to acquire a truly exceptional gem.”
Before its appearance in Geneva, The Glowing Rose will be showcased in Singapore and Taipei, giving collectors and connoisseurs a preview of one of the year’s most significant pink diamonds.
DCLA notes that fancy vivid pink diamonds remain among the most coveted and valuable gems in the world, combining extraordinary rarity with strong global demand from collectors and investors alike.
Lucara Diamond Corp. has announced the recovery of a rare and unusual pink diamond from its Karowe mine in Botswana.
The 37.42-carat stone, classified as a Type IIa, was unearthed in August and is described as near-gem quality with a distinctive bicoloured appearance. While the majority of the diamond displays an intense pink hue, part of the stone appears partially colourless an exceptionally rare feature.
HB Antwerp, Lucara’s cutting and technology partner, described the discovery as “a rare and remarkable find.” Oded Mansori, co-founder of HB Antwerp, noted: “This stone has the potential to become one of the most important pink diamonds ever polished. Its intensely rich coloration is a testament to the geological uniqueness of the Karowe mine, and our expertise in the manufacturing process will ensure its vibrant colour is maximised.”
The recovery underscores Karowe’s reputation as a consistent source of exceptional diamonds. Also in August, Lucara recovered a 1,019.85-carat non-gem-quality diamond, the third stone of more than 1,000 carats to be found at Karowe in 2025. This brings the total number of diamonds over 1,000 carats from the mine to nine.
Both diamonds were recovered from the EM/PK(S) section of the deposit using Lucara’s Mega Diamond Recovery (MDR) unit, an advanced X-ray transmission system installed in 2017 to identify and preserve large stones. The MDR is credited with detecting several of Karowe’s most significant recoveries, including the 2,492-carat diamond discovered in August 2024—the second-largest rough diamond ever found.
Meanwhile, Lucara has announced a $10 million drawdown from its $63 million standby loan facility with Nemesia, its largest shareholder, to address short-term funding needs for the Karowe underground expansion project. The $683 million project, now scheduled for completion in the first half of 2028, is expected to extend the mine’s life to at least 2040.
Lucara President and CEO William Lamb said the arrangement reflects the company’s commitment to financial prudence while advancing the underground project. “This funding mechanism demonstrates the continued confidence and support of our major shareholders in Lucara’s long-term strategy and in the exceptional value potential of the Karowe mine, including the ongoing recovery of some of the world’s most significant diamonds.”
Sotheby’s is to offer for sale the largest fancy vivid orangy pink diamond ever graded, at a debut event in Abu Dhabi in December.
The pear-shaped gem, known as the Desert Rose, weighs 31.86 carats and is expected to fetch $5m to $7m.
It is the jewelry highlight of Sotheby’s inaugural Abu Dhabi Collectors’ Week of exhibitions, sales, masterclasses and panel discussions.
The Desert Rose is part of a single-owner collection of watches and jewelry, including vintage and contemporary signed pieces, that is estimated to raise more than $20m in total.
Among the watch highlights is an exceptionally rare Rolex “Oyster Albino” Daytona, reference 6263, produced in the late 1960s and early 1970s, with an estimate of $500,000 to $1m.
Abu Dhabi Collectors’ Week takes place from 2 – 5 December on Saadiyat Island, just off the Abu Dhabi coast.
It coincides with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and features auctions of collector cars, real estate, and international fine art exhibitions.
Sotheby’s, in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, is exhibiting extremely rare coloured diamonds at Bassam Freiha Art Foundation this week, in the biggest showcase of diamonds outside of the Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC.
All together, the spectacular diamonds are worth around $100 million. The largest flawless diamond in the world, the largest vivid orangey pink diamond ever graded, the second largest red diamond known to exist and several diamonds over 100 carats are included in the collection, which will be available for public view this Wednesday, April 9 and Thursday, April 10.
“The exhibition is incredibly exciting for the simple reason that to purely just have eight diamonds of this calibre in the same room is something that is worthy of one of the great museums in the world, and I can’t imagine that we will ever see this array together again,” says Paul Redmayne, Sotheby’s senior vice president for luxury private sales. “It is definitely a career highlight for me to see these stunning gemstones side by side, and I look forward to no doubt witnessing many a jaw drop as the public come through the doors.”
The star of the showcase is none other than The Mediterranean Blue. Weighing 10.03 carats, this Fancy Vivid Blue rarity has earned the highest GIA colour grading and a coveted Type IIb classification, an elite status held by less than 0.5 per cent of diamonds. Its cushion cut intensifies its liquid-like saturation, an electrifying depth that feels almost surreal. With an estimated value of $20 million, The Mediterranean Blue will be the highlight of Sotheby’s High Jewellery Sale on May 13 in Geneva.
“The Mediterranean Blue diamond on its own is an incredibly rare stone, and ticks so many of the boxes that you could look for: it is a connoisseur’s diamond, whilst also being infinitely wearable,” shares Redmayne. “The depth of the blue is unrivalled, and even to someone who knows nothing about diamonds, it’s clear to see what makes it so special.”
The diamond is a timeless symbol of love, power, beauty and status – but a captivating collection of this stature is awe-inspiring at an entirely different level; a once-in-a-lifetime experience in the UAE’s capital city, which Redmayne says marks an incredibly exciting moment in the city’s history. “This project further enriches the dynamic landscape of Abu Dhabi for both collectors and the general public,” he says.
An agreement has been entered into for the outright sale of Williamson Diamonds Limited, Petra Diamonds announced on Wednesday.
The London-listed and South Africa-active Petra is taking steps to sell its entire shareholding in the Tanzanian entity to Pink Diamonds Investments for a headline consideration of up to $16-million.
This follows Petra’s sale in May of just under half of the asset, in which the Tanzanian government has a stake, for $15-million via long-term technical services contractor Taifa Mining.
Since then, Williamson’s coming under consolidated ownership has emerged increasingly as the preferred way forward.
As a Taifa affiliate, Pink Diamonds is viewed by Petra CEO Richard Duffy as possessing the technical and financial capability to conduct operations in a responsible manner for all stakeholders.
As a wholly Tanzanian-owned company with more than three decades of mining-related experience, Taifa’s working relationships extend to mining majors such as De Beers, Barrick and AngloGold Ashanti. It is now entering a phase of exclusive ownership of the asset where about 1 100 people are employed, most of them Tanzanian.
The mine’s reserves and resources as of June 30 were reported as 37.17-million carats. With liquidity challenges continuing, further capital investment will be required.
“We look forward to working closely with the Mining Commission, the Fair Competition Commission, employees, community representatives and other key stakeholders in completing the sale as soon as possible,” Duffy stated in a stock exchange announcement accessed by Mining Weekly.
In South Africa, Petra operates the Cullinan diamond mine in Gauteng and the Finsch diamond mine in the Northern Cape.
“We’re committed to adopting and adhering to the latest internationally recognised standards throughout all aspects of our business,” said Pink Diamonds chairperson Rostam Azizi, whose family are from the area around Mwadui, the other name for the Williamson mine, which is situated 23 km north-east of Shinyanga in northern Tanzania.
Mining Weekly can report that the discovery of the kimberlite pipe by Canadian geologist John Williamson in 1940 led to ongoing operation since then, making it one of the world’s oldest continuous operating diamond mines. Its yield of 19-million-plus diamond carats includes the 54.5 ct Williamson pink diamond presented to British royalty in 1947.
The Perth Mint continues its Jewelled series of coins with a 10 ounce gold Jewelled Turtle coin with a mintage of eight coins.
And it comes with a price tag of $269,000 Australian ($182,229 U.S.).
This is the seventh release in the Jewelled series. It features a handset rare trademarked Argyle Pink Diamond and lustrous white diamonds that form the head and limbs of the three dimensional 18 karat gold turtle.
Each Jewelled Turtle coin is a Proof 10 ounce .9999 fine gold $2,500 denominated coin, with the centerpiece the 18-karat gold sea turtle surrounded by depictions of coral and dory fish.
The turtle’s head and limbs are embellished with 52 white diamonds, and two emeralds for its eyes. Additional white diamonds are set in a ribbon shaped line symbolizing the sea surface, with an Argyle Pink Diamond set at the heart of a stylized sun.
The Jewelled Series is developed each year in association with John Glajz, a Singapore based Argyle Pink Diamonds Icon Partner.
Each Jewelled Turtle coin is presented in a luxury display case adorned with 18 karat gold furnishings and inset with two Argyle Pink Diamond.
For the first time in the series, the coin bears the Dan Thorne effigy of King Charles III, as well as the P125 privy mark for the Perth Mint’s 125th anniversary.
Christie’s will offer “The Eden Rose,” a 10.20-carat round brilliant fancy intense pink diamond, as the top lot of its New York Magnificent Jewels auction on June 11. Its estimate is $9 million to $12 million. It is the first time this diamond has appeared at auction.
The Gemological Institute of America report supplied by Christie’s states that the diamond is also internally flawless.
Describing it as an “exceptionally rare gemstone,” Christie’s says the gem, named after the symbol for unconditional love, it is the most significant round brilliant internally flawless fancy intense pink diamond to be offered at auction since the “Martian Pink,” which sold at Christie’s Hong Kong in 2012 for $17.4 million, equating to $1.45 million per carat.
The diamond exhibits a pure pink hue, unlike many natural pink diamonds that typically display secondary hues such as purple, orange or gray. “The Eden Rose stands out for its complete absence of any secondary color, rendering it exceptionally rare,” Christie’s said in a statement.
Rahul Kadakia, Christie’s International head of Jewelry, said in a statement that he is “anticipating significant interest from around the world.”
Christie’s says the round brilliant cut is known for its ability to maximize light reflection and is considered the ideal cut for diamonds.
The Eden Rose is mounted on a ring further adorned with eight brilliant-cut diamonds, ranging in weight from 3.11 to 0.73 carats, and two marquise brilliant-cut diamonds of 2.24 and 1.02 carats.
A 6.21-carat pink diamond will be the star of the second jewelry auction Phillips will hold in Geneva, where it is expected to fetch up to CHF 13.6 million ($15 million).
The fancy-vivid-pink, VS1-clarity, type IIa diamond ring is among several important and rare pieces on offer at the sale, called Geneva Jewels Auction: Two, which will take place on May 13, Phillips said Tuesday. The auction will be at the Hotel President Geneva for the first time, and it will include over 100 specially curated items from well-knowns design houses such as Cartier, JAR, Suzanne Belperron, and Van Cleef & Arpels.
Prior to the sale, Phillips will exhibit the jewels in New York; London; Taipei, Taiwan; and Singapore. The auction house will also hold a simultaneous selling exhibition called “Symbols, Colour and Form,” which will feature jewels from contemporary designers Alix Dumas and DYNE.
Here are the rest of the of the top five items Phillips will feature at the main sale:
This 280.84-carat Colombian emerald is from a private collection. Known as The Amazon Queen, it carries an estimate of CHF 1.4 million to CHF 2.4 million ($1.5 million to $2.6 million).A 27.27-carat, fancy-vivid-yellow diamond ring will also go under the hammer. It is expected to bring in between CHF 1 million and CHF 1.8 million ($1.1 million to $2 million).A pair of earrings set with pear-shaped, D-flawless, type IIa diamonds weighing 10.07 and 10.12 carats has a presale price range of CHF 1.2 million to CHF 1.6 million ($1.3 million to $1.8 million).Phillips will offer this brilliant-cut, 1.56-carat, fancy-red Argyle diamond at the Geneva auction. Named The Argyle Phoenix, it is estimated at CHF 910,000 to CHF 1.4 million ($1 million to $1.5 million).
A 3.06-carat pink diamond ring will be the star of an upcoming jewelry sale at Heritage Auctions, where it is set to fetch as much as $300,000.
The modified marquise-shaped, fancy-pink stone, surrounded by 0.55 carats of full-cut diamonds, will lead the December 4 Holiday Fine Jewelry Signature Auction in Dallas, Texas, Heritage said Monday.
Other standout items include pieces by Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Tiffany & Co., and diamond earrings created in 1950 by Parisian jeweler Jean Schlumberger. One of the more interesting lots is an enamel and 18-karat gold helicopter by Pierno Frascarolo & Co.
Here are some of the other top items:
A ring by designer David Webb features a pear-shaped, 18.65-carat Ceylon purple sapphire, 9.35 carats of full-cut diamonds and a turquoise cabochon, estimated at up to $80,000.An emerald-cut, 4.62-carat, H-color, VS1-clarity diamond ring is expected to fetch up to $75,000 at the auction.This ring is set with a cut-cornered rectangular-cut, 5.57-carat, fancy-intense-yellow, VS1-clarity diamond center stone, flanked by tapered bullet-shaped white diamonds and rectangular-shaped emeralds. It carries a presale price range of $50,000 to $75,000.Heritage will offer this cushion-shaped, 19.51-carat sapphire and diamond ring for $50,000 to $70,000.
Rio Tinto has unveiled the latest heirloom piece of Argyle Pink Diamonds jewellery, featuring one of the last diamonds to be mined from the iconic Argyle mine in the East Kimberley, Western Australia.
Mining ended at Argyle in November 2020, after 37 years of uninterrupted production, during which the mine became the source of about 90% of the world’s prized rose-to-magenta hued stones. The mine produced more than 865 million carats of rough diamonds.
Designed by Western Australian jeweller Solid Gold Diamonds, the Argyle Rose features a total of 3.25 carats of rare Argyle pink and blue diamonds encrusted in a rose motif, surrounded by white diamonds and hand-set in platinum and 18 karat gold.
The heart of this piece is an extremely rare 1.36 carat, Fancy Deep Pink radiant cut diamond. It is just one of twelve radiant cut diamonds over one carat with a colour grading, 1P, from the last 30 years of production from Argyle.
The surrounding petaled design of pink and blue Argyle Diamonds totals 1.89 carats, together with 2.80 carats of white diamonds. The Argyle Rose is for sale at Solid Gold Diamonds in Perth for A$2 million.
“I am delighted to launch the Argyle Rose. Encapsulating a rich history and an extraordinary provenance, it is both a contemporary treasure and an heirloom for tomorrow,” Sinead Kaufman, Chief Executive of Rio Tinto Minerals said in a statement.
“These rare and precious diamonds are one and a half billion years old, from one of the most beautiful places on earth, and the world is simply not producing them anymore.”
Storm Mountain Diamonds (SMD), jointly owned by Namakwa Diamonds Limited and the Government of Lesotho, has recovered a 108.39-carat fancy pink diamond at its Kao Mine in the Southern African country.
The diamond is one of the largest pink roughs ever found in Africa, which include the “Lulo Rose”, 170-carat precious stone recovered by Australia’s Lucapa Diamond in Angola last year.
SMD said the diamond was recovered from a 1.5 tonne sample of kimberlite ore that was processed at the mine’s plant.
It is a Type IIa stone, which means it has very few impurities and a high level of clarity, the company said.
The Kao Mine is one of the largest diamond mines in Lesotho and produces about 400,000 carats of diamonds annually.
Coloured diamonds, especially pink ones, have repeatedly set record-setting prices in recent years as they are rarer than white ones. While they come in many hues, pink and blue are the most coveted.
Rio Tinto’s Unique $1.24m Midnight Sun Diamond Ring
Midnight Sun Diamond Ring
Pink and yellow diamonds from two iconic Rio Tinto mines – Argyle and Diavik – have been brought together to create a unique ring.
It’s called Diavik Midnight Sun and has been valued at $1.24m.
An 18.08 carat fancy intense yellow oval diamond from Diavik, in sub-Arctic Canada, contrasts with an intricate setting of rare Argyle pink diamonds, from the now-closed mine in in the remote East Kimberley region of Western Australia, weighing 4.09 carats in total.
The yellow diamond was cut from a 36.75-ct rough gem, described as one of the finest large yellow diamonds uncovered at Diavik.
Rio Tinto’s general manager of sales and marketing for its diamonds business, Patrick Coppens said “This combination of a rare yellow Diavik diamond and Argyle Pink Diamonds, the rarest diamonds in the world, is a special moment in the history of Rio Tinto’s unique place in the natural fancy coloured diamond industry.
He paid tribute to luxury jeweler Musson for creating the ring. The Diavik Midnight Sun takes its inspiration from the exquisite natural phenomenon that occurs when the sun is seen at midnight in the Arctic, exhibiting beautiful golden and pink hues.
11.15-Carat Internally Flawless Pink Diamond Could Fetch $21 Million
11.5-carat Williamson Pink Star diamond
The second largest internally flawless fancy vivid pink diamond to ever appear at auction was unveiled Wednesday in London by Sotheby’s. The 11.15-carat Williamson Pink Star will be sold in a single-lot auction in Hong Kong on October 5. Its estimate is $21 million.
The auction house says it has the potential to set a new per carat price record for a fancy vivid pink diamond.
“We do have the confidence that it will find a great collector and have the interest of multiple parties,” Wenhao Yu, chairman of Jewellery and Watches at Sotheby’s Asia, told Forbes on Tuesday. “It has the potential to reach a very strong price.”
He adds, “This diamond truly checks all the boxes. It has the best qualities you can have in a pink diamond.”
The current price per carat auction record for a fancy vivid pink diamond is $2,656,909 for the 18.96-carat Winston Pink Legacy, sold in 2018 by Christie’s Geneva. The largest internally flawless, fancy vivid pink diamond offered at auction is the 59.60-carat CTF Pink Star. It was sold by Sotheby’s Hong Kong in 2017 for $71.2 million, a world record for any gem or jewel sold at auction.
Yu compares the Williamson Pink Star to an exceptional work of art.
“We timed this lot to be offered between Sotheby’s modern and contemporary art auctions. That’s because instead of offering just another important diamond, we view this diamond as a work of art from mother earth and a wonder of nature,” Yu says. “It’s comparable to a Monet or a Picasso and is even more rare.”
The Williamson Pink Star is the second largest internally flawless fancy vivid pink diamond
The Williamson mine is one of the oldest operating diamond mines in the world, famous for producing what is described as “bubblegum” pink diamonds, according to the auction house. One of the best-known diamonds from the mine is the 23.6-carat Williamson Pink Diamond fashioned into a brooch by Cartier and owned by Queen Elizabeth II.
“We wanted to relate the important provenance of the Williamson mine when naming the diamond,” Yu says. “The unique saturated pink color is one of the important qualities of diamonds from this mine. It is an honor for us that after so many decades another important pink diamond comes from the Williamson mine and we can offer it at auction.”
The cushion-shaped diamond was crafted from a 32.32-carat rough diamond by Diacore, a diamond manufacturer that specializes in crafting rare, exceptional fancy-colored diamonds. The company purchased the gem in late 2021 for $13.8 million. Yu says crafting the diamond is just as important as discovering it, and Diacore is one of the few companies in the world capable of cutting and polishing such an important gem.
The Williamson Pink Star is mounted in an 18k gold ring flanked by trapeze
“Not every rough can yield a diamond of this high quality so we should also give credit to Diacore,” he says. “They really made cutting and polishing into an art. They are very skilled and experienced with the best technology and a lot of courage. It’s rare to have a vivid pink color. It’s rarer when it’s over 10 carats and even more rare if it’s internally flawless. It’s luck to find this kind of diamond that was formed underground for millions of years, and it takes a great amount of art and creativity to fashion it into a gorgeous stone with so many exceptional qualities.”
Pink diamonds are among the rarest colors to occur naturally in diamonds. Of all the diamonds submitted to the Gemological Institute of America (which analyzes and grades diamonds), fewer than 3% are classified as colored diamonds, and fewer than 5% of those are considered predominantly pink.
The Argyle Mine in Australia, before it was retired in 2020 after exhausting its supply of gem-quality diamonds, produced more than 90% of the world’s pink diamonds. The absence of pink diamonds from this mine makes important pink diamonds like the one being offered even more rare, Yu says.
“Pink diamonds are still growing in demand in the market, and this now makes the Williamson Pink Star even more sought after,” he says.
The diamond is being presented in an 18k gold ring flanked by trapeze-cut diamonds and embellished with brilliant-cut diamonds.
London is the first stop where the diamond will be viewed by the public. It will then travel to Dubai, Singapore and Taipei before the final viewing and sale in Hong Kong.
A fancy pink diamond ring by Meister was the top seller at the Bonhams London Jewels sale, garnering $1.1 million USD.
The piece, with a step-cut 3.62 carat center stone and designed in 1968 by Meister, exceeded its high estimate of $989,417 USD at the November 12 auction, Bonhams said last week.
A diamond brooch from the collection of Dame Joan Collins, designed by Van Cleef & Arpels, fetched $161,892 USD, more than six times its high valuation. It was part of a collection of the actress’s jewels that saw 100% of items find buyers, with the final sales total three times higher than the auctioneer had estimated. A portion of the proceeds from Collins’s jewelry will be donated to the Shooting Star Children’s Hospice, of which she is a patron.
Other notable items at the auction included a sapphire and diamond ring, which fetched $189,865 USD against a high estimate of $131,851 USD, and a three-stone diamond ring, which brought in $132,179 USD, nearly doubling its estimate.
In total, the auction achieved $5 million USD, with Bonhams selling 75% of items on offer.
“Despite the auction taking place behind closed doors, the bidding remained spirited and the results demonstrate that high quality pieces with extraordinary provenance continue to captivate buyers around the world,” said Jean Ghika, global head of jewelry for Bonhams.
A fancy pink diamond ring by Meister was the top seller at the Bonhams London Jewels sale, garnering $1.1 million USD.
The piece, with a step-cut 3.62 carat center stone and designed in 1968 by Meister, exceeded its high estimate of $989,417 USD at the November 12 auction, Bonhams said last week.
A diamond brooch from the collection of Dame Joan Collins, designed by Van Cleef & Arpels, fetched $161,892 USD, more than six times its high valuation. It was part of a collection of the actress’s jewels that saw 100% of items find buyers, with the final sales total three times higher than the auctioneer had estimated. A portion of the proceeds from Collins’s jewelry will be donated to the Shooting Star Children’s Hospice, of which she is a patron.
Other notable items at the auction included a sapphire and diamond ring, which fetched $189,865 USD against a high estimate of $131,851 USD, and a three-stone diamond ring, which brought in $132,179 USD, nearly doubling its estimate.
In total, the auction achieved $5 million USD, with Bonhams selling 75% of items on offer.
“Despite the auction taking place behind closed doors, the bidding remained spirited and the results demonstrate that high quality pieces with extraordinary provenance continue to captivate buyers around the world,” said Jean Ghika, global head of jewelry for Bonhams.
FANCY PINK DIAMONDS soared 116% in value over the past decade, outpacing blues (81%) and yellows (21%), according to a report by the Fancy Color Research Foundation (FCRF), an Israel-based group that tracks diamond pricing data in the global trading centers of Hong Kong, New York and Tel Aviv.
While the overall index for fancy-color diamonds — across all their brilliant hues — increased by 77% from 2009 to 2019, it was the pink diamond category that stood out in the report.
Market watchers believe that the strength of the pink-diamond segment is attributed to the expected closure this year of the Argyle Diamond Mine, which has been operating in Western Australia for the past 37 years.
“Rio Tinto’s Argyle mine is the first and only ongoing source of rare pink diamonds in history,” said Rio Tinto Copper & Diamonds chief executive Arnaud Soirat in 2019. “With the lifecycle of this extraordinary mine approaching its end, we have seen, and continue to see, unstoppable demand for these truly limited-edition diamonds and strong value appreciation.”
Back in April of 2017, The Pink Star, a 59.6-carat, flawless, fancy vivid pink diamond, shattered the world record for the highest price ever paid for any gem at auction. The hammer price of $71.2 million at Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite sale in Hong Kong easily surpassed the $57.5 million achieved in May of 2016 by the previous record-holder, the 14.62-carat Oppenheimer Blue diamond.
In November of 2018, the 18.96-carat Pink Legacy was purchased for $50.3 million at Christie’s Geneva, establishing a record per-carat price of $2.7 million for a fancy vivid pink diamond. The previous record holder was the 14.93-carat Pink Promise, which sold at auction for $2.2 million per carat in 2017.
FCRF advisory board member Jim Pounds explained why prices for fancy-color diamonds should remain strong: “From the mining perspective, we are currently experiencing a shortage in high-quality fancy-color rough and we therefore feel quite optimistic about the future.”
FANCY PINK DIAMONDS soared 116% in value over the past decade, outpacing blues (81%) and yellows (21%), according to a report by the Fancy Color Research Foundation (FCRF), an Israel-based group that tracks diamond pricing data in the global trading centers of Hong Kong, New York and Tel Aviv.
While the overall index for fancy-color diamonds — across all their brilliant hues — increased by 77% from 2009 to 2019, it was the pink diamond category that stood out in the report.
Market watchers believe that the strength of the pink-diamond segment is attributed to the expected closure this year of the Argyle Diamond Mine, which has been operating in Western Australia for the past 37 years.
“Rio Tinto’s Argyle mine is the first and only ongoing source of rare pink diamonds in history,” said Rio Tinto Copper & Diamonds chief executive Arnaud Soirat in 2019. “With the lifecycle of this extraordinary mine approaching its end, we have seen, and continue to see, unstoppable demand for these truly limited-edition diamonds and strong value appreciation.”
Back in April of 2017, The Pink Star, a 59.6-carat, flawless, fancy vivid pink diamond, shattered the world record for the highest price ever paid for any gem at auction. The hammer price of $71.2 million at Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite sale in Hong Kong easily surpassed the $57.5 million achieved in May of 2016 by the previous record-holder, the 14.62-carat Oppenheimer Blue diamond.
In November of 2018, the 18.96-carat Pink Legacy was purchased for $50.3 million at Christie’s Geneva, establishing a record per-carat price of $2.7 million for a fancy vivid pink diamond. The previous record holder was the 14.93-carat Pink Promise, which sold at auction for $2.2 million per carat in 2017.
FCRF advisory board member Jim Pounds explained why prices for fancy-color diamonds should remain strong: “From the mining perspective, we are currently experiencing a shortage in high-quality fancy-color rough and we therefore feel quite optimistic about the future.”
It’s a good time to buy natural color diamonds. “The recent price declines in the white goods created an overall negative psychological effect on all diamonds. This is probably the reason we also witnessed a decline of 0.1% in the Fancy Color Index in Q2,” said Fancy Color Research Foundation (FCRF) advisory board member Eden Rachminov.
According to the FCRF, yellow diamonds displayed a decline of 0.8% vis-a-vis the 0.2% increase in the second quarter of 2018. The prices of yellow diamonds declined by 0.8% overall in this quarter, primarily influenced by the 1–3 cts. categories, with the sharpest downturn of 2.7% in the 1 ct. category.
Blue diamonds showed a 0.3% decrease in the second quarter of 2019 compared to a 1.5% increase in the same quarter in 2018. Blue diamond prices decreased overall by 0.3%, affected mainly by the decline of 0.9% in the weight category of 8–10 cts.
Only pink diamonds showed an upturn of 0.4% in the second quarter of 2019, compared to a 0.5% decrease in the same quarter in 2018. The pink category continued to outperform all other categories, showing an increase of 0.4%. All fancy vivid pinks rose by 1.3%, with fancy vivid pinks of 2 and 3 cts. showing a rise in the second quarter of 2019, increasing by 2.8% and 2.6%, respectively.
Despite the temporary psychological negative effect at the moment, the long-term price trend for natural color diamonds looks positive. According to research by Knight Frank, within the last 10 years, the price of colored diamonds went up by 85%, outperforming some “classical” luxury investment objects such as art and watches. “It’s definitely a good time to buy colored diamonds now,” says Rachminov.
One of the opportunities to buy is the upcoming True Colors auction by Alrosa, the worlds’ largest diamond miner. The diamonds will be available for viewing during the September Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair (Sept. 16–20). For the first time, the auction will be conducted via the Alrosa online platform diamonds.alrosa. The first True Colors auction was conducted in 2018. It finished with a total sale of 210 diamonds. The bidding was very active, and most of the lots were sold for well above their starting prices.
At this year’s auction, ALROSA is offering a comprehensive origin story for every stone for the first time. Thanks to ALROSA’s traceability programmes, the consumers can witness the diamonds’ fascinating journey from mine and market. “With a closed production cycle, the company can guarantee the origin of every polished diamond, especially since it has its own unique ID,” revealed the miner.
This year, the collection includes about 200 polished diamonds of various shapes and colors, and all have GIA certificates. Each of them is a masterpiece of diamond production created by skillful professionals who put hearts into their work, keep the traditions, and know what a real Russian cut is: Russian cut describes both the origin of the diamond and the location where it was cut.
Alrosa operates its own in-house cutting and polishing branch, Diamonds of Alrosa. Beginning in 2018, it concentrated on fancy colored and unique diamonds. Alrosa’s goal is to become the leader in the colored diamonds market. Being the largest miner, Alrosa expects to be the largest producer of colored diamonds by volume.
It’s a good time to buy natural color diamonds. “The recent price declines in the white goods created an overall negative psychological effect on all diamonds. This is probably the reason we also witnessed a decline of 0.1% in the Fancy Color Index in Q2,” said Fancy Color Research Foundation (FCRF) advisory board member Eden Rachminov.
According to the FCRF, yellow diamonds displayed a decline of 0.8% vis-a-vis the 0.2% increase in the second quarter of 2018. The prices of yellow diamonds declined by 0.8% overall in this quarter, primarily influenced by the 1–3 cts. categories, with the sharpest downturn of 2.7% in the 1 ct. category.
Blue diamonds showed a 0.3% decrease in the second quarter of 2019 compared to a 1.5% increase in the same quarter in 2018. Blue diamond prices decreased overall by 0.3%, affected mainly by the decline of 0.9% in the weight category of 8–10 cts.
Only pink diamonds showed an upturn of 0.4% in the second quarter of 2019, compared to a 0.5% decrease in the same quarter in 2018. The pink category continued to outperform all other categories, showing an increase of 0.4%. All fancy vivid pinks rose by 1.3%, with fancy vivid pinks of 2 and 3 cts. showing a rise in the second quarter of 2019, increasing by 2.8% and 2.6%, respectively.
Despite the temporary psychological negative effect at the moment, the long-term price trend for natural color diamonds looks positive. According to research by Knight Frank, within the last 10 years, the price of colored diamonds went up by 85%, outperforming some “classical” luxury investment objects such as art and watches. “It’s definitely a good time to buy colored diamonds now,” says Rachminov.
One of the opportunities to buy is the upcoming True Colors auction by Alrosa, the worlds’ largest diamond miner. The diamonds will be available for viewing during the September Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair (Sept. 16–20). For the first time, the auction will be conducted via the Alrosa online platform diamonds.alrosa. The first True Colors auction was conducted in 2018. It finished with a total sale of 210 diamonds. The bidding was very active, and most of the lots were sold for well above their starting prices.
At this year’s auction, ALROSA is offering a comprehensive origin story for every stone for the first time. Thanks to ALROSA’s traceability programmes, the consumers can witness the diamonds’ fascinating journey from mine and market. “With a closed production cycle, the company can guarantee the origin of every polished diamond, especially since it has its own unique ID,” revealed the miner.
This year, the collection includes about 200 polished diamonds of various shapes and colors, and all have GIA certificates. Each of them is a masterpiece of diamond production created by skillful professionals who put hearts into their work, keep the traditions, and know what a real Russian cut is: Russian cut describes both the origin of the diamond and the location where it was cut.
Alrosa operates its own in-house cutting and polishing branch, Diamonds of Alrosa. Beginning in 2018, it concentrated on fancy colored and unique diamonds. Alrosa’s goal is to become the leader in the colored diamonds market. Being the largest miner, Alrosa expects to be the largest producer of colored diamonds by volume.
