A “very rare” pink diamond, named the Williamson Pink Star after a similar gem owned by the Queen, is expected to sell for more than $21 million (£18 million) this fall.
Sotheby’s says the 11.15-carat cushion-shaped stone is the second largest internal defect-free Fancy Vivid pink diamond ever to be sold at auction and could set a new price-per-carat record at auction .
Only the CTF Pink Star, which sold for US$71.2 million (£57.2 million) in 2017, was oversized and set a world record for diamonds and gemstones, according to the auction house.
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Model Nina Wool (Yui Mok/PA) wears a large pure pink diamond on display at Sotheby’s in central London before it goes up for auction this fall.
The Williamson Pink Star is named after its record-breaking predecessor, as is the Queen’s Williamson Pink Diamond, which was discovered in the same mine in Tanzania.
The 23.6-carat diamond, given to the Queen as a wedding gift in 1947 by the mine’s owner, Canadian geologist Dr. John Tauburn Williamson, was the centerpiece of a Cartier-designed brooch.
Christian Spofors, Head of Jewelery at Sotheby’s, told PA News:
“This diamond came from the same mine as the Williamson mine in Tanzania, so there’s a nice connection there.
“The Queen’s diamond is very private and was given to the Queen in 1947, so we don’t know much about it.
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A gem of this color, quality and size was last shown to the world in 2017, making it the most expensive gem ever sold at auction. (Yui Mok/PA)
“Then there is also a link to a pink star that was sold in 2017, setting world record prices for gems and gemstones at auction. The fact that both were cut by Diacore is a great link tied brings it to the name.”
Spofors described the stone as “one of the rarest natural beauties on earth.”
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he said: “A diamond of this color and purity is very rare to come by. We call it the purest, pinkest diamond available.”
“Only 5% of diamonds are colored diamonds. Of the colored diamonds, only 3% are pink. Add to that the fact that they are over 10 carats and they are internally perfect, and that extraordinaire has brought this diamond. rarity.
“It’s such a natural beauty that the seller is very excited to put it up for auction.”
He added that the diamond had been in “exceptional hands” since it was mined in the rough several years ago, adding that the conversion to a polished diamond would take “a while”.
The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) monograph states: ”
Wenhao Yu, Chairman of Sotheby’s Asia Jewelery and Watches, said: .
“Driven by limited supply and increasing demand, the price of the highest quality large pink diamonds over 5 carats has risen exponentially over the past decade, and it just so happens that this one-of-a-kind stone I have set the scene where it will appear.”
The diamond is expected to fetch more than $21 million at Sotheby’s auction in Hong Kong on October 5.
