Editor’s Note
An exceptionally rare 14.83-carat pink diamond, named “The Spirit of the Rose,” will be auctioned by Sotheby’s in Geneva on November 11. Discovered in Russia, it is the largest Fancy Vivid purple-pink diamond from the country ever to be offered at auction.
Auction for this extremely rare pink diamond will be held in Geneva, Switzerland on November 11. The auction will be conducted by Sotheby’s, an auction company. This diamond weighs 14.83 carats. It has been named “The Spirit of the Rose” after a famous Russian ballet. The diamond was discovered in Russia and belongs to the Fancy Vivid purple-pink category. It is the largest diamond from Russia in this category to ever go to auction.
The value of this diamond is estimated to be between 23 to 38 million dollars before the auction. 38 million dollars is approximately 281 crore rupees, and with that amount, one could buy about 519 kg of gold in India at today’s rates. According to a report by NDTV, Gary Schuler, head of Sotheby’s jewelry division, stated that finding pink diamonds of any size in nature is extremely rare. Only about 1 percent of such pink diamonds are over 10 carats.
Benoît Repellin, head of Sotheby’s Fine Jewelry auction in Geneva, said that this oval-shaped diamond is completely pure. The diamond was discovered by Russia’s Alrosa, one of the world’s leading diamond producers. It was found in the Republic of Sakha in northeastern Russia. Notably, this diamond was discovered there in July 2017.
According to Repellin, cutting masters spent an entire year of diligent work to bring this diamond to its polished form. According to Sotheby’s, the world auction record for any diamond, gemstone, or jewelry is held by the ‘CTF Pink Star’. It was a 59.60-carat oval pink diamond that sold for 71.2 million dollars in Hong Kong in 2017.
Repellin says that five of the ten most valuable diamonds ever sold at auction have been pink. The sale of this gemstone coincides with the closure of the world’s largest pink diamond mine in Australia. The reserves of precious stones in that mine have been exhausted. It is worth noting that more than 90 percent of the world’s pink diamonds have come from the Argyle mine in the remote Kimberley region of Western Australia.