Editor’s Note
This article highlights the exceptional nature of an 18.96-carat pink diamond, a true rarity in the world of gemstones. As Christie’s specialist Jean-Marc Lunel notes, its size alone makes it an extraordinary find, far surpassing the typical weight of most pink diamonds.
explained Jean-Marc Lunel, Christie’s international jewelry specialist, to AFP.
he assured.
This “fancy vivid” pink diamond, the highest grade of color intensity, belonged to the Oppenheimer family, which led the De Beers mining company for several decades.
and has not been recut since, explained Mr. Lunel.
he specified.
According to Christie’s, the Pink Legacy was owned by the Oppenheimer family for decades, although the auction house does not wish to reveal the name of the stone’s current owner.
It is estimated to be worth between 30 and 50 million dollars (between 26.5 and 44.1 million euros).
The range may seem very wide, but
given their rarity, noted Mr. Lunel, specifying that in such cases, experts base their estimates on
A historic record was reached on the international diamond market in November when Christie’s sold “The Pink Promise,” an oval-shaped fancy vivid pink diamond of just under 15 carats for 32.48 million dollars, which remains to this day a world record per carat for a pink diamond (2.17 million per carat).
In 2013, a very large pink diamond of 59.60 carats was sold by Sotheby’s for 83 million dollars, or 1.39 million per carat.
Other diamonds and jewels will be offered at Tuesday’s auction, including three pieces signed JAR (the initials of Joel Arthur Rosenthal), a cult American jeweler based in Paris whose pieces are highly sought after because this creator only works for his friends or their close ones. For example, a butterfly-shaped brooch, adorned with colored diamonds, is estimated between 400,000 and 600,000 dollars.
Another JAR-signed brooch in the shape of a flower, in blue and mauve tones, is estimated between 800,000 and 1.2 million dollars.
Furthermore, a pearl necklace, which belonged to Horace Elgin Dodge, co-founder of the American automobile company Dodge, is estimated between 600,000 and 800,000 dollars.