A super lucky, 18.18-carat, pear-shaped, fancy vivid pink diamond is expected to fetch between $25 million and $35 million when it hits the auction block at Christie's Magnificent Jewels sale in Geneva on November 8.
Dubbed "The Fortune Pink," the bubblegum-colored stone is being billed as the largest pear-shaped, fancy vivid pink diamond offered for sale at auction.
The auspicious "1-8" combination in the carat weight promises to bring prosperity to the winning bidder because that number literally translates to "get rich for sure" in Chinese.
The extreme rarity of an 18-carat pink diamond of this quality is amplified by the fact that fewer than 10% of pink diamonds weigh more than 1/5 of a carat, according to the Gemological Institute of America. What’s more, only 4% of pink diamonds possess a color saturated enough to qualify as “fancy vivid.” Pink diamonds fall under the rare Type IIa category of diamonds, which make up less than 2% of all gem diamonds.
“The Pink Star” still holds the record for the highest price paid at auction for a pink diamond. That 59.6-carat, flawless, fancy vivid pink diamond fetched $71.2 million at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in 2017. It was purchased by Hong Kong luxury jeweler Chow Tai Fook and renamed “CTF Pink Star.” Not only did it set a record in the pink category, but also shattered the world record for the highest price ever paid for any gem at auction.
The largest fancy vivid pink diamond ever sold at Christie’s was the 18.96-carat "Winston Pink Legacy," which achieved $50.37 million and set a world record price-per-carat for a pink diamond at auction ($2.65 million). The $35 million high estimate for The Fortune Pink would put it at about $1.92 million per carat.
Pink diamonds have become increasingly rare since the 2020 closure of Australia's Argyle Mine, which had been the source of 90% of the world's pink diamonds.
The Fortune Pink will be revealed to the public at Christie’s New York during the week of October 3. After that, the stone will be making appearances at Christie's locations in Shanghai, Taiwan and Singapore.
On November 2, The Fortune Pink will arrive in Geneva for Christie’s Luxury Week at the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues. It will go on public display before headlining the Christie's auction on November 8.
Credit: Image courtesy of Christie's.