Editor’s Note
This article highlights a remarkable gemstone set to headline Sotheby’s Geneva auction—a rare 10.08-carat “Fancy Vivid” pink diamond. Its exceptional color, size, and provenance underscore its status as a true masterpiece of haute joaillerie.
A unique diamond is already attracting the attention of international connoisseurs and collectors. The centerpiece of Sotheby’s upcoming luxury auction in Geneva is an extremely rare, intense pink cushion-cut diamond weighing 10.08 carats, known as “Fancy Vivid”, set in a ring by the renowned British jeweler Boodles.
According to the auction house, this stone – a “vivid” pink cushion-cut diamond over 10 carats – is only the third of its kind to appear on the market in the last ten years.
The gem originates from a 21-carat rough stone mined in Angola in 2023. It is certified as Type IIa – the purest category from a chemical perspective – and is distinguished by exceptional color saturation and high clarity.
The auction, taking place on November 12th at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Geneva, has an estimated value of around $20 million (approximately 16 million Swiss francs).
The cushion cut is particularly well-suited to highlighting the depth and intensity of the color: According to Sotheby’s, this cut helps to enhance the color saturation of a colored stone like a pink diamond.
The setting designed by Boodles combines “Single Mine Origin” rose gold and pink Argyle diamonds with platinum borders and white baguette diamonds: an aesthetic that unites contemporary sophistication and outstanding craftsmanship.
The phenomenon of “Fancy” pink diamonds is considered one of the rarest in gemology: Less than 0.01% of the gemstones graded by the Gemological Institute of America are colored, and only a vanishingly small proportion of those can exhibit the intensity of “Fancy Vivid Pink”.
Similar stones have achieved record prices in the past: For example, the 11.15-carat “Williamson Pink Star” diamond (Fancy Vivid Pink) sold for $57.7 million in 2022, and the 10.57-carat “Eternal Pink” diamond sold for $34.8 million in 2023.
The introduction of this stone comes at a time of strong global demand for fine jewelry and rare chromatic gemstones.
