Geneva Magnificent Jewels Auctions Set to be Most Exciting Auction Ever

Historically, Geneva has always been the premiere destination for special jewels auctions. Both Sotheby’s and Christie’s save their best gems for their Geneva auctions and they make significant yearly sales figures in there that boost their overall annual jewelry sales figures. Normally, we also see that most items in the roster that are offered are over $1 million in value. To be fair, we will conduct the analysis of both auction houses based on chronological basis, therefore, first we will analyze Sotheby’s, and then Christie’s.

Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels Auction on May 17, 2016

Although as of April 26 their website was not yet updated with the final list of items up for auction, they did make the E-catalog available for viewing. On the day of the auction, Sotheby’s conducts three separate sessions – a morning session, an afternoon session, and an evening session. It is well known that the majority of the important items of the day are sold in the evening session, after a good warm up in the afternoon, where quite a few significant items are shown. We see from the E-catalog that the morning session has 199 items for sale, the afternoon session has 195 items, while the evening session has 101 items on offer.

The first item of interest at the auction is Lot #335. Although it is of relatively low color intensity, a a Fancy Light Purplish Pink heart shaped diamond, it is still a rare to see one at its a size of 20.36 carats. In addition to that, it has a very rare Internally Flawless clarity which significantly adds to its desirability. It is estimated to be valued at a final sales price of $3.2 million – $4.2 million, or $157k – $206k per carat. We see good value in this range if it hits this price, especially after a 5.01 carat Fancy Light Purplish Pink IF diamond was sold for $133k per carat on April 19, 2016 in New York by Sotheby’s. There is no reason why April’s trend will not continue to this larger diamond in May.

 

20.36 carat Fancy Light Purplish Pink IF heart shaped diamond

20.36 carat Fancy Light Purplish Pink IF heart shaped diamond     Image credit: Sotheby’s

This pink heart is one of five items which were given an evaluation above $1 million that will be auctioned in the second session.

 

The next very interesting piece is lot #405 in the evening session. The center piece is set with a 6.64 carat Fancy Intense Blue SI1 marquise shaped diamond. On the sides, it is set with a 2.01 and a 1.01 Fancy Intense Blue pear shaped diamonds, with VVS2 and VS2 clarities respectively. This brooch was made by Alexandre Reza. It is currently valued at a final price between $10 million to $14 million dollars. The center piece is a rare size of 6.64 carat, and color is the center of attention. However, in order to garner the high end estimate, the color will be the determinant of the final price and not the clarity as the clarity is quite disappointing.

 

6.64 carat Fancy Intense Blue marquise shaped diamond brooch by Alexandre Reza

The 6.64 carat Fancy Intense Blue SI1 marquise shaped diamond brooch by Alexandre Reza,    Image credit: Sotheby’s

 

The current record for a Fancy Intense Blue diamond in the 5-10 carat category is $1.051 million per carat, which was paid for a 7.64 carat diamond back on May 11, 2010. The brooch on auction, if sold, may reach the low end of the estimate. On December 10, 2015 a 1.74 carat Fancy Intense Blue VVS1 round brilliant diamond was sold for $1.1 million per carat. A 2.47 carat Fancy Intense Blue VS2 diamond was sold for about $645k per carat on December 9, 2015. If we extrapolate here, the 2.01 carat diamond from the brooch would be worth about $2.4 million. The 1.01 carat diamond from the brooch would be worth about $700k, all 3 prices makes a total of $3.1 million. To reach the low estimate we need about $7 million from the brooch. Based on the 6.64 carat size, that would translate into $1.054 million per carat. The sum puts us at the lower end of the estimate. Let’s see what reality will give us on that day.

This blue diamond leads us to Lot #411, another fine Fancy Intense Blue diamond. This one is 6.03 carat in weight with an Internally Flawless clarity. This is the kind of diamond investment that investors are looking for and for which they are willing to pay top value. The value stands between $3 million and $5 million, or between $498k to $829k per carat. There are 2 possible scenarios that explain this valuation. The first is that although the diamond has been graded to be a Fancy Intense Blue, it must be a weak Intense, no more than a 3 on the intensity scale of 1-10. This assumption about the weakness of the intensity is based on the value that the auction house gave the diamond. The second scenario is that Sotheby’s simply made an error in its valuation. In this case, we should see a significant sale price compared to the valuation; anywhere between $6 million and $9 million. Let’s see what happens!

fancy intense blue

The 6.03 carat Fancy Intense Blue IF diamond     Image credit: Sotheby’s

 

Once this blue diamond is sold, it is time to move into pinks. Lot #411A is a 18.51 carat Fancy Pink diamond with a VVS1 clarity but is potentially Internally Flawless. Both its size and clarity are rare. If the buyer can keep the diamond above 18 carats and re-polish it to an IF, I would recommend to do so. It is valued at a final price between $5 million to $8 million, or $270k to $432k per carat. The current record held by a Fancy Purplish Pink is the 12.45 carat just sold in NY on April 19, 2016 that was sold for $366k per carat. That diamond was a VS2 clarity. If this diamond has a similar strength of color depth, then it should easily get the same $366k per carat. If the color is weak, the price should be in the $5 million to $6.5 million range. If the color is strong, the price should be in the $8 million to $9.5 million range. Let’s see what happens that day.

fancy pink geneva 2016

The 18.51 carat Fancy Pink VVS1 diamond     Image credit: Sotheby’s

 

The next pink diamond is Lot #420. This Fancy Purplish Pink weighs 8.20 carats, and has a VVS1 clarity with a diagram showing that it is potentially Internally Flawless. If the buyer can keep it above 8 carats after a re-polish, I would say that he/she absolutely should re-polish into an IF clarity. It is valued at $2 million to $4 million, or $244k to $488k per carat, which is quite a spread. If the color is right, the value should be in the range of $350k to $480k per carat, or $2.87 million to $3.94 million total. We might be surprised by this one.

 

8.20 carat Fancy Purplish Pink VVS1 diamond
The 8.20 carat Fancy Purplish Pink VVS1 diamond     Image credit: Sotheby’s

 

Lot #462 is a pair of pink and blue diamond earrings. The pear shaped Fancy Blue diamond weighs 8.85 carats and has a VS2 clarity, while the Fancy Orange Pink weighs 8.79 carat and has a VVS2 clarity. Currently they are valued at $2 million to $3 million in total. This is a bit of a challenge to analyze, but we shall try our best:

The last Fancy Orange Pink VVS2 diamond sold at auction was a 3.08 carat diamond that sold for $108k per carat back on December 1, 2015. This should put the 8.79 at a value of about $950k. The last Fancy Blue diamond with a VS1 clarity (the closest clarity that exists that was sold) was the 9.15 carat Fancy Blue diamond that once belonged to Mrs. Rachel ‘Bunny’ Mellon which sold back on November 20, 2014 for a record price of $2.965 million total or $324k per carat. If the colors are similar, this should put our diamond at a total value of about $2.87 million. Together, the 2 diamonds should be valued at about $3.8 million. Even if we assume that the colors are slightly weaker, or even remove the historical story of the 9.15 carat Fancy Blue Mellon diamond, we should still be above the high $3 million value given by Sotheby’s. I estimate the value to be in the $2.7-$4.2 million in total. Let’s see what the market values this pair at auction.

 

The 8.79 carat Fancy Orange Pink and 8.85 carat Fancy Blue pear shaped diamond earrings
The 8.79 carat Fancy Orange Pink and 8.85 carat Fancy Blue pear shaped diamond earrings     Image credit: Sotheby’s

 

We continue on to Lot #463. This Fancy Pink diamond weighs 11.19 carats and has a perfect Internally Flawless clarity, so there is no need to re-polish it. It is currently valued at $2.2 million to $4.2 million, or $196k to $375k per carat. The 18.51 carat diamond we looked at above is valued at $270-$432k per carat. In the case of this 11.19 carat diamond, we are in the right direction for valuation. The diamond does seem to have a weak color.

 

11.19 carat Fancy Pink IF diamond

The 11.19 carat Fancy Pink IF diamond     Image credit: Sotheby’s

 

Changing tone for a second brings us to Lot #469. Not very often do we see a Fancy Vivid Orange diamond in auction. This diamond weighs 2.09 carats and has a VVS2 clarity, which is also rare for orange diamonds. It is valued at $1.3 million to $1.8 million, or $622k to $861k per carat. This is a good value range. This diamond color is rare in auctions just like Fancy Vivid Green diamonds and purple diamonds.

 

2.09 carat Fancy Vivid Orange VVS2 diamond
The 2.09 carat Fancy Vivid Orange VVS2 diamond     Image credit: Sotheby’s

 

Lot #480 is another Fancy Pink diamond being offered. This one weighs 13.63 carat and has a VS2 clarity. Although size is significant, the clarity is quite the opposite. Therefore, the final price will depend on the depth of the diamond’s color and the strength of the pink color. Normally, in catalogs the colors of the diamonds are enhanced. This diamond is valued at $3.7 million to $5 million, or $271k to $$367k per carat. If color is not strong enough to overcome the low clarity, we will most likely see a sale price on the lower end of the valuation.

13.63 fancy pink geneva 2016

The 13.63 carat Fancy Pink VS2 diamond     Image credit: Sotheby’s

 

Stepping away from diamonds for a second, I want to mention the “Emperor Ruby”, Lot #484. In the last 2 years, we have seen many important rubies offered at auction and that broke significant records. The first was the Graff Ruby, the 8.62 carat ruby that  sold for $997k per carat. The next Ruby that broke the record was “The Sunrise Ruby”, a 25.59 carat ruby that sold for $1.185 million per carat. The Emperor Ruby is valued at $5m to $8 million and weighs 7.03 carats. If the color is strong, we might see a new record broken here. If the ruby sells at the high estimate or above, it will break a new world record per carat for a ruby. We shall see.

 

The Emperor Ruby

The 7.03 carat Emperor Ruby     Image credit: Sotheby’s

 

Let’s return to blue diamonds with Lot #486, a Fancy Blue VVS2 emerald cut diamond. It is an exceptionally large 14.18 carat diamond in size, the largest of its color to ever to be offered at auction. The previous largest Fancy Blue offered at auction was the 13.39 carat, also VVS2 diamond, offered at auction on May 31, 2011 by Christie’s in Hong Kong. It was sold for $568k per carat. If we extrapolate the price to our diamond, it should be in the range of $8 million. The valuation of the 14.18 carat Fancy Blue diamond is $3 million to $5 million. The valuation means that either the auction house evaluated the diamond very low to show a big gain above valuation, or the diamond’s color is weak, a borderline Fancy Light Blue and not a Fancy Blue.

 

14.18 carat Fancy Blue diamond
The 14.18 carat Fancy Blue diamond     Image credit: Sotheby’s

 

Lot #489 brings us back to pink diamonds. We rarely see a fancy color diamond above 20 carats, let alone one of such a popular color. This Fancy Pink weighs 21.11 carats and has a VVS2 clarity with a diagram stating that the clarity can be improved. Assuming that the buyer can keep the weight above 20 carats, and can get an IF clarity, I would recommend to proceed in order to raise the value. It is currently valued at $5 million to $9 million, which is quite a spread in value considering that this would be the largest Fancy Pink ever offered at auction. The 18.51 carat Fancy Pink discussed a little earlier is currently in that place. The value of the 21.11 carat diamond is estimated to be between $237k to $426k per carat. This value is somewhat in the same range as the 18.51 carat above. It would make sense only if this 21.11 color is slightly weaker, otherwise it should sell above the price of the 18.51 simply based on size. Therefore, it should sell on the high end of the valuation or break it.

 

21.11 carat Fancy Pink VVS2 diamond
The 21.11 carat Fancy Pink VVS2 diamond     Image credit: Sotheby’s

 

The last 2 items on offering are exceptional items for such an auction. Although we have seen the successful sale of the 10.10 carat De Beers Millennium Jewel 4 sell in Hong Kong back in March, we have also seen the failure of the 9.54 carat Fancy Deep Blue Shirley Temple diamond to sell. We don’t always know how the market will react, and it seems that even the auction houses don’t know what can happen at the bottom of the ninth inning. Lot #494 is an exceptional Fancy Vivid Blue pear shaped diamond. It weighs 7.32 carats, and is a perfection as its clarity is Internally Flawless. It has a large culet, which reminds me of the Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond. When the Wittelsbach-Graff was acquired by Lawrence Graff it was a 35.56 carat Fancy Deep Grayish Blue diamond with a VS2 clarity. When Graff finished re-polishing it into perfection, after much intense hard work, it stood at 31.06 carat Fancy Deep Blue color with Internally Flawless clarity. It took the removal of 4.50 carats to remove the grayish color from it, but in the process increasing its value tremendously, since its clarity was also improved to perfection. It was acquired on December 10, 2008 for the then record price of $23.4 million and was revealed again on January 7, 2010 with its new look and name. It is rumored that Graff sold it in June 2011 for a reported $80 million, making around a $67 million profit.

 

Wittelsbach-Diamond geneva 2016

The 31.06 Fancy Deep Blue ‘Wittelsbach Graff’ diamond     Image credit: Graff Diamonds

 

This sort of alteration was also done on the Shirley Temple diamond, when it was recut and 8 points were removed from it, also increasing its color in the same manner as the blue Graff diamond mentioned above, in the process increasing its own value as well. Further details of the Shirley Temple diamond history remain confidential. Most likely, the Shirley Temple diamond will sell on the private market soon enough.

 

main article image-12

The 9.54 carat Fancy Deep Blue ‘Shirley Temple’ diamond     Image credit: Sotheby’s

 

Going back to our Lot #494, the 7.32 carat Fancy Vivid Blue diamond is valued at $15 million to $25 million, or $2.05 million to $3.415 million per carat. Although we do not know what people end up doing and the final price of this diamond, rest assured that the $2 million per carat low estimate value will be easily surpassed. I presume that the starting bid will be at $12 million to heat up the room and will quickly climb above $15 million within a minute or so. It will probably climb up to $20 million and at which point it might take a rest and will continue climbing.

 

7.32 ct fvb
The 7.32 carat Fancy Vivid Blue pear shaped diamond     Image credit: Sotheby’s

 

The current record for a 5-10 carat Fancy Vivid Blue diamond on a per carat price is held by the 9.75 carat Zoe Diamond, which also once belonged to Mrs. Rachel ‘Bunny’ Mellon and was the Blue diamond that started the crazy Blue diamond climb on November 20, 2014. It was sold for $3.35 million per carat. Can this new 7.32 carat blue diamond surpass the Zoe’s record? Anything is possible. Let’s not forget that the Zoe diamond had a VS1 clarity, quite low when compared to this 7.32 carat blue diamond. It is closer to the ‘Blue Moon of Josephine’ when comparing clarities, yet that diamond was a 12.03 carat diamond, well above 10 carats.

 

blue moon of josephine diamond-2

The 12.03 carat Fancy Vivid Blue ‘Blue Moon of Josephine’ diamond     Image credit: Sotheby’s

The last item to be offered at this auction is also the star of the evening.

“The Unique Pink” is the largest Fancy Vivid Pink pear shaped diamond to ever be offered at auction as of the date of the auction. It weighs 15.38 carats, and has a VVS2 clarity given by the GIA. It is currently valued at $28 million to $38 million or $1.82 million to $2.47 million per carat. The current record on a per carat basis for such a diamond remains to be $2.155 million per carat held by the 5.00 carat Fancy Vivid Pink diamond sold back in 2009 in Hong Kong. The current record holder for the total price for a pink diamond is still held by the Graff pink at $46.16 million total or $1.86 million per carat for the 24.78 carat Graff Pink diamond. At $2.155 million per carat, our diamond would be valued at $33.15 million total, which is at the mid-point of the current value given by Sotheby’s. If sold at the record total value of $46.16 million of the Graff Pink, it would be valued at a price of $3 million per carat. That is a tremendous objective, which I doubt it will reach. Without giving too many confidential details, this diamond was also re-polished, and in the process its color and clarity were increased to their current state. It was previously in the 17 carat size range.

 

The 15.38 carat Fancy Vivid Pink ‘Unique Pink’ diamond

The 15.38 carat Fancy Vivid Pink ‘Unique Pink’ diamond     Image credit: Sotheby’s

 

The diamond is currently owned by global diamond expert Ehud Laniado, who was also the previous owner of the Blue Moon diamond. The date of the certificate is April 17, 2015, suggesting that it was attempted to be sold privately but was not successful. As a diamond expert, Laniado knows a thing or two about diamonds. He has been quite active with his Mercury Diamond company, specializing in rough diamonds as well as polished. His attempts to continue the price transparency for the benefit of the industry continues on.

 

Ehud Arye Laniado

Global Diamond Expert Ehud Laniado

With a record number of items offered at above $1 million each (over 30 items), and of which 3 are above $10 million each, this auction is quite an exciting one to share. I look forward to reporting live from the auction in Geneva, and I look forward to sharing more insights on these special gifts of nature.

Got any thoughts about any of these high value diamonds? Will Sotheby’s manage to reach their predicted prices? Let us know what you think in the comments!

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Geneva Magnificent Jewels Auctions Set to be Most Exciting Auction Ever

Historically, Geneva has always been the premiere destination for special jewels auctions. Both Sotheby’s and Christie’s save their best gems for their Geneva auctions and they make significant yearly sales figures in there that boost their overall annual jewelry sales figures. Normally, we also see that most items in the roster that are offered are over $1 million in value. To be fair, we will conduct the analysis of both auction houses based on chronological basis, therefore, first we will analyze Sotheby’s, and then Christie’s.

Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels Auction on May 17, 2016

Although as of April 26 their website was not yet updated with the final list of items up for auction, they did make the E-catalog available for viewing. On the day of the auction, Sotheby’s conducts three separate sessions – a morning session, an afternoon session, and an evening session. It is well known that the majority of the important items of the day are sold in the evening session, after a good warm up in the afternoon, where quite a few significant items are shown. We see from the E-catalog that the morning session has 199 items for sale, the afternoon session has 195 items, while the evening session has 101 items on offer.

The first item of interest at the auction is Lot #335. Although it is of relatively low color intensity, a a Fancy Light Purplish Pink heart shaped diamond, it is still a rare to see one at its a size of 20.36 carats. In addition to that, it has a very rare Internally Flawless clarity which significantly adds to its desirability. It is estimated to be valued at a final sales price of $3.2 million – $4.2 million, or $157k – $206k per carat. We see good value in this range if it hits this price, especially after a 5.01 carat Fancy Light Purplish Pink IF diamond was sold for $133k per carat on April 19, 2016 in New York by Sotheby’s. There is no reason why April’s trend will not continue to this larger diamond in May.

 

20.36 carat Fancy Light Purplish Pink IF heart shaped diamond

20.36 carat Fancy Light Purplish Pink IF heart shaped diamond     Image credit: Sotheby’s

This pink heart is one of five items which were given an evaluation above $1 million that will be auctioned in the second session.

 

The next very interesting piece is lot #405 in the evening session. The center piece is set with a 6.64 carat Fancy Intense Blue SI1 marquise shaped diamond. On the sides, it is set with a 2.01 and a 1.01 Fancy Intense Blue pear shaped diamonds, with VVS2 and VS2 clarities respectively. This brooch was made by Alexandre Reza. It is currently valued at a final price between $10 million to $14 million dollars. The center piece is a rare size of 6.64 carat, and color is the center of attention. However, in order to garner the high end estimate, the color will be the determinant of the final price and not the clarity as the clarity is quite disappointing.

 

6.64 carat Fancy Intense Blue marquise shaped diamond brooch by Alexandre Reza

The 6.64 carat Fancy Intense Blue SI1 marquise shaped diamond brooch by Alexandre Reza,    Image credit: Sotheby’s

 

The current record for a Fancy Intense Blue diamond in the 5-10 carat category is $1.051 million per carat, which was paid for a 7.64 carat diamond back on May 11, 2010. The brooch on auction, if sold, may reach the low end of the estimate. On December 10, 2015 a 1.74 carat Fancy Intense Blue VVS1 round brilliant diamond was sold for $1.1 million per carat. A 2.47 carat Fancy Intense Blue VS2 diamond was sold for about $645k per carat on December 9, 2015. If we extrapolate here, the 2.01 carat diamond from the brooch would be worth about $2.4 million. The 1.01 carat diamond from the brooch would be worth about $700k, all 3 prices makes a total of $3.1 million. To reach the low estimate we need about $7 million from the brooch. Based on the 6.64 carat size, that would translate into $1.054 million per carat. The sum puts us at the lower end of the estimate. Let’s see what reality will give us on that day.

This blue diamond leads us to Lot #411, another fine Fancy Intense Blue diamond. This one is 6.03 carat in weight with an Internally Flawless clarity. This is the kind of diamond investment that investors are looking for and for which they are willing to pay top value. The value stands between $3 million and $5 million, or between $498k to $829k per carat. There are 2 possible scenarios that explain this valuation. The first is that although the diamond has been graded to be a Fancy Intense Blue, it must be a weak Intense, no more than a 3 on the intensity scale of 1-10. This assumption about the weakness of the intensity is based on the value that the auction house gave the diamond. The second scenario is that Sotheby’s simply made an error in its valuation. In this case, we should see a significant sale price compared to the valuation; anywhere between $6 million and $9 million. Let’s see what happens!

fancy intense blue

The 6.03 carat Fancy Intense Blue IF diamond     Image credit: Sotheby’s

 

Once this blue diamond is sold, it is time to move into pinks. Lot #411A is a 18.51 carat Fancy Pink diamond with a VVS1 clarity but is potentially Internally Flawless. Both its size and clarity are rare. If the buyer can keep the diamond above 18 carats and re-polish it to an IF, I would recommend to do so. It is valued at a final price between $5 million to $8 million, or $270k to $432k per carat. The current record held by a Fancy Purplish Pink is the 12.45 carat just sold in NY on April 19, 2016 that was sold for $366k per carat. That diamond was a VS2 clarity. If this diamond has a similar strength of color depth, then it should easily get the same $366k per carat. If the color is weak, the price should be in the $5 million to $6.5 million range. If the color is strong, the price should be in the $8 million to $9.5 million range. Let’s see what happens that day.

fancy pink geneva 2016

The 18.51 carat Fancy Pink VVS1 diamond     Image credit: Sotheby’s

 

The next pink diamond is Lot #420. This Fancy Purplish Pink weighs 8.20 carats, and has a VVS1 clarity with a diagram showing that it is potentially Internally Flawless. If the buyer can keep it above 8 carats after a re-polish, I would say that he/she absolutely should re-polish into an IF clarity. It is valued at $2 million to $4 million, or $244k to $488k per carat, which is quite a spread. If the color is right, the value should be in the range of $350k to $480k per carat, or $2.87 million to $3.94 million total. We might be surprised by this one.

 

8.20 carat Fancy Purplish Pink VVS1 diamond
The 8.20 carat Fancy Purplish Pink VVS1 diamond     Image credit: Sotheby’s

 

Lot #462 is a pair of pink and blue diamond earrings. The pear shaped Fancy Blue diamond weighs 8.85 carats and has a VS2 clarity, while the Fancy Orange Pink weighs 8.79 carat and has a VVS2 clarity. Currently they are valued at $2 million to $3 million in total. This is a bit of a challenge to analyze, but we shall try our best:

The last Fancy Orange Pink VVS2 diamond sold at auction was a 3.08 carat diamond that sold for $108k per carat back on December 1, 2015. This should put the 8.79 at a value of about $950k. The last Fancy Blue diamond with a VS1 clarity (the closest clarity that exists that was sold) was the 9.15 carat Fancy Blue diamond that once belonged to Mrs. Rachel ‘Bunny’ Mellon which sold back on November 20, 2014 for a record price of $2.965 million total or $324k per carat. If the colors are similar, this should put our diamond at a total value of about $2.87 million. Together, the 2 diamonds should be valued at about $3.8 million. Even if we assume that the colors are slightly weaker, or even remove the historical story of the 9.15 carat Fancy Blue Mellon diamond, we should still be above the high $3 million value given by Sotheby’s. I estimate the value to be in the $2.7-$4.2 million in total. Let’s see what the market values this pair at auction.

 

The 8.79 carat Fancy Orange Pink and 8.85 carat Fancy Blue pear shaped diamond earrings
The 8.79 carat Fancy Orange Pink and 8.85 carat Fancy Blue pear shaped diamond earrings     Image credit: Sotheby’s

 

We continue on to Lot #463. This Fancy Pink diamond weighs 11.19 carats and has a perfect Internally Flawless clarity, so there is no need to re-polish it. It is currently valued at $2.2 million to $4.2 million, or $196k to $375k per carat. The 18.51 carat diamond we looked at above is valued at $270-$432k per carat. In the case of this 11.19 carat diamond, we are in the right direction for valuation. The diamond does seem to have a weak color.

 

11.19 carat Fancy Pink IF diamond

The 11.19 carat Fancy Pink IF diamond     Image credit: Sotheby’s

 

Changing tone for a second brings us to Lot #469. Not very often do we see a Fancy Vivid Orange diamond in auction. This diamond weighs 2.09 carats and has a VVS2 clarity, which is also rare for orange diamonds. It is valued at $1.3 million to $1.8 million, or $622k to $861k per carat. This is a good value range. This diamond color is rare in auctions just like Fancy Vivid Green diamonds and purple diamonds.

 

2.09 carat Fancy Vivid Orange VVS2 diamond
The 2.09 carat Fancy Vivid Orange VVS2 diamond     Image credit: Sotheby’s

 

Lot #480 is another Fancy Pink diamond being offered. This one weighs 13.63 carat and has a VS2 clarity. Although size is significant, the clarity is quite the opposite. Therefore, the final price will depend on the depth of the diamond’s color and the strength of the pink color. Normally, in catalogs the colors of the diamonds are enhanced. This diamond is valued at $3.7 million to $5 million, or $271k to $$367k per carat. If color is not strong enough to overcome the low clarity, we will most likely see a sale price on the lower end of the valuation.

13.63 fancy pink geneva 2016

The 13.63 carat Fancy Pink VS2 diamond     Image credit: Sotheby’s

 

Stepping away from diamonds for a second, I want to mention the “Emperor Ruby”, Lot #484. In the last 2 years, we have seen many important rubies offered at auction and that broke significant records. The first was the Graff Ruby, the 8.62 carat ruby that  sold for $997k per carat. The next Ruby that broke the record was “The Sunrise Ruby”, a 25.59 carat ruby that sold for $1.185 million per carat. The Emperor Ruby is valued at $5m to $8 million and weighs 7.03 carats. If the color is strong, we might see a new record broken here. If the ruby sells at the high estimate or above, it will break a new world record per carat for a ruby. We shall see.

 

The Emperor Ruby

The 7.03 carat Emperor Ruby     Image credit: Sotheby’s

 

Let’s return to blue diamonds with Lot #486, a Fancy Blue VVS2 emerald cut diamond. It is an exceptionally large 14.18 carat diamond in size, the largest of its color to ever to be offered at auction. The previous largest Fancy Blue offered at auction was the 13.39 carat, also VVS2 diamond, offered at auction on May 31, 2011 by Christie’s in Hong Kong. It was sold for $568k per carat. If we extrapolate the price to our diamond, it should be in the range of $8 million. The valuation of the 14.18 carat Fancy Blue diamond is $3 million to $5 million. The valuation means that either the auction house evaluated the diamond very low to show a big gain above valuation, or the diamond’s color is weak, a borderline Fancy Light Blue and not a Fancy Blue.

 

14.18 carat Fancy Blue diamond
The 14.18 carat Fancy Blue diamond     Image credit: Sotheby’s

 

Lot #489 brings us back to pink diamonds. We rarely see a fancy color diamond above 20 carats, let alone one of such a popular color. This Fancy Pink weighs 21.11 carats and has a VVS2 clarity with a diagram stating that the clarity can be improved. Assuming that the buyer can keep the weight above 20 carats, and can get an IF clarity, I would recommend to proceed in order to raise the value. It is currently valued at $5 million to $9 million, which is quite a spread in value considering that this would be the largest Fancy Pink ever offered at auction. The 18.51 carat Fancy Pink discussed a little earlier is currently in that place. The value of the 21.11 carat diamond is estimated to be between $237k to $426k per carat. This value is somewhat in the same range as the 18.51 carat above. It would make sense only if this 21.11 color is slightly weaker, otherwise it should sell above the price of the 18.51 simply based on size. Therefore, it should sell on the high end of the valuation or break it.

 

21.11 carat Fancy Pink VVS2 diamond
The 21.11 carat Fancy Pink VVS2 diamond     Image credit: Sotheby’s

 

The last 2 items on offering are exceptional items for such an auction. Although we have seen the successful sale of the 10.10 carat De Beers Millennium Jewel 4 sell in Hong Kong back in March, we have also seen the failure of the 9.54 carat Fancy Deep Blue Shirley Temple diamond to sell. We don’t always know how the market will react, and it seems that even the auction houses don’t know what can happen at the bottom of the ninth inning. Lot #494 is an exceptional Fancy Vivid Blue pear shaped diamond. It weighs 7.32 carats, and is a perfection as its clarity is Internally Flawless. It has a large culet, which reminds me of the Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond. When the Wittelsbach-Graff was acquired by Lawrence Graff it was a 35.56 carat Fancy Deep Grayish Blue diamond with a VS2 clarity. When Graff finished re-polishing it into perfection, after much intense hard work, it stood at 31.06 carat Fancy Deep Blue color with Internally Flawless clarity. It took the removal of 4.50 carats to remove the grayish color from it, but in the process increasing its value tremendously, since its clarity was also improved to perfection. It was acquired on December 10, 2008 for the then record price of $23.4 million and was revealed again on January 7, 2010 with its new look and name. It is rumored that Graff sold it in June 2011 for a reported $80 million, making around a $67 million profit.

 

Wittelsbach-Diamond geneva 2016

The 31.06 Fancy Deep Blue ‘Wittelsbach Graff’ diamond     Image credit: Graff Diamonds

 

This sort of alteration was also done on the Shirley Temple diamond, when it was recut and 8 points were removed from it, also increasing its color in the same manner as the blue Graff diamond mentioned above, in the process increasing its own value as well. Further details of the Shirley Temple diamond history remain confidential. Most likely, the Shirley Temple diamond will sell on the private market soon enough.

 

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The 9.54 carat Fancy Deep Blue ‘Shirley Temple’ diamond     Image credit: Sotheby’s

 

Going back to our Lot #494, the 7.32 carat Fancy Vivid Blue diamond is valued at $15 million to $25 million, or $2.05 million to $3.415 million per carat. Although we do not know what people end up doing and the final price of this diamond, rest assured that the $2 million per carat low estimate value will be easily surpassed. I presume that the starting bid will be at $12 million to heat up the room and will quickly climb above $15 million within a minute or so. It will probably climb up to $20 million and at which point it might take a rest and will continue climbing.

 

7.32 ct fvb
The 7.32 carat Fancy Vivid Blue pear shaped diamond     Image credit: Sotheby’s

 

The current record for a 5-10 carat Fancy Vivid Blue diamond on a per carat price is held by the 9.75 carat Zoe Diamond, which also once belonged to Mrs. Rachel ‘Bunny’ Mellon and was the Blue diamond that started the crazy Blue diamond climb on November 20, 2014. It was sold for $3.35 million per carat. Can this new 7.32 carat blue diamond surpass the Zoe’s record? Anything is possible. Let’s not forget that the Zoe diamond had a VS1 clarity, quite low when compared to this 7.32 carat blue diamond. It is closer to the ‘Blue Moon of Josephine’ when comparing clarities, yet that diamond was a 12.03 carat diamond, well above 10 carats.

 

blue moon of josephine diamond-2

The 12.03 carat Fancy Vivid Blue ‘Blue Moon of Josephine’ diamond     Image credit: Sotheby’s

The last item to be offered at this auction is also the star of the evening.

“The Unique Pink” is the largest Fancy Vivid Pink pear shaped diamond to ever be offered at auction as of the date of the auction. It weighs 15.38 carats, and has a VVS2 clarity given by the GIA. It is currently valued at $28 million to $38 million or $1.82 million to $2.47 million per carat. The current record on a per carat basis for such a diamond remains to be $2.155 million per carat held by the 5.00 carat Fancy Vivid Pink diamond sold back in 2009 in Hong Kong. The current record holder for the total price for a pink diamond is still held by the Graff pink at $46.16 million total or $1.86 million per carat for the 24.78 carat Graff Pink diamond. At $2.155 million per carat, our diamond would be valued at $33.15 million total, which is at the mid-point of the current value given by Sotheby’s. If sold at the record total value of $46.16 million of the Graff Pink, it would be valued at a price of $3 million per carat. That is a tremendous objective, which I doubt it will reach. Without giving too many confidential details, this diamond was also re-polished, and in the process its color and clarity were increased to their current state. It was previously in the 17 carat size range.

 

The 15.38 carat Fancy Vivid Pink ‘Unique Pink’ diamond

The 15.38 carat Fancy Vivid Pink ‘Unique Pink’ diamond     Image credit: Sotheby’s

 

The diamond is currently owned by global diamond expert Ehud Laniado, who was also the previous owner of the Blue Moon diamond. The date of the certificate is April 17, 2015, suggesting that it was attempted to be sold privately but was not successful. As a diamond expert, Laniado knows a thing or two about diamonds. He has been quite active with his Mercury Diamond company, specializing in rough diamonds as well as polished. His attempts to continue the price transparency for the benefit of the industry continues on.

 

Ehud Arye Laniado

Global Diamond Expert Ehud Laniado

With a record number of items offered at above $1 million each (over 30 items), and of which 3 are above $10 million each, this auction is quite an exciting one to share. I look forward to reporting live from the auction in Geneva, and I look forward to sharing more insights on these special gifts of nature.

Got any thoughts about any of these high value diamonds? Will Sotheby’s manage to reach their predicted prices? Let us know what you think in the comments!

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Geneva Magnificent Jewels Auctions Set to be Most Exciting Auction Ever

Historically, Geneva has always been the premiere destination for special jewels auctions. Both Sotheby’s and Christie’s save their best gems for their Geneva auctions and they make significant yearly sales figures in there that boost their overall annual jewelry sales figures. Normally, we also see that most items in the roster that are offered are over $1 million in value. To be fair, we will conduct the analysis of both auction houses based on chronological basis, therefore, first we will analyze Sotheby’s, and then Christie’s.

Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels Auction on May 17, 2016

Although as of April 26 their website was not yet updated with the final list of items up for auction, they did make the E-catalog available for viewing. On the day of the auction, Sotheby’s conducts three separate sessions – a morning session, an afternoon session, and an evening session. It is well known that the majority of the important items of the day are sold in the evening session, after a good warm up in the afternoon, where quite a few significant items are shown. We see from the E-catalog that the morning session has 199 items for sale, the afternoon session has 195 items, while the evening session has 101 items on offer.

The first item of interest at the auction is Lot #335. Although it is of relatively low color intensity, a a Fancy Light Purplish Pink heart shaped diamond, it is still a rare to see one at its a size of 20.36 carats. In addition to that, it has a very rare Internally Flawless clarity which significantly adds to its desirability. It is estimated to be valued at a final sales price of $3.2 million – $4.2 million, or $157k – $206k per carat. We see good value in this range if it hits this price, especially after a 5.01 carat Fancy Light Purplish Pink IF diamond was sold for $133k per carat on April 19, 2016 in New York by Sotheby’s. There is no reason why April’s trend will not continue to this larger diamond in May.

 

20.36 carat Fancy Light Purplish Pink IF heart shaped diamond

20.36 carat Fancy Light Purplish Pink IF heart shaped diamond     Image credit: Sotheby’s

This pink heart is one of five items which were given an evaluation above $1 million that will be auctioned in the second session.

 

The next very interesting piece is lot #405 in the evening session. The center piece is set with a 6.64 carat Fancy Intense Blue SI1 marquise shaped diamond. On the sides, it is set with a 2.01 and a 1.01 Fancy Intense Blue pear shaped diamonds, with VVS2 and VS2 clarities respectively. This brooch was made by Alexandre Reza. It is currently valued at a final price between $10 million to $14 million dollars. The center piece is a rare size of 6.64 carat, and color is the center of attention. However, in order to garner the high end estimate, the color will be the determinant of the final price and not the clarity as the clarity is quite disappointing.

 

6.64 carat Fancy Intense Blue marquise shaped diamond brooch by Alexandre Reza

The 6.64 carat Fancy Intense Blue SI1 marquise shaped diamond brooch by Alexandre Reza,    Image credit: Sotheby’s

 

The current record for a Fancy Intense Blue diamond in the 5-10 carat category is $1.051 million per carat, which was paid for a 7.64 carat diamond back on May 11, 2010. The brooch on auction, if sold, may reach the low end of the estimate. On December 10, 2015 a 1.74 carat Fancy Intense Blue VVS1 round brilliant diamond was sold for $1.1 million per carat. A 2.47 carat Fancy Intense Blue VS2 diamond was sold for about $645k per carat on December 9, 2015. If we extrapolate here, the 2.01 carat diamond from the brooch would be worth about $2.4 million. The 1.01 carat diamond from the brooch would be worth about $700k, all 3 prices makes a total of $3.1 million. To reach the low estimate we need about $7 million from the brooch. Based on the 6.64 carat size, that would translate into $1.054 million per carat. The sum puts us at the lower end of the estimate. Let’s see what reality will give us on that day.

This blue diamond leads us to Lot #411, another fine Fancy Intense Blue diamond. This one is 6.03 carat in weight with an Internally Flawless clarity. This is the kind of diamond investment that investors are looking for and for which they are willing to pay top value. The value stands between $3 million and $5 million, or between $498k to $829k per carat. There are 2 possible scenarios that explain this valuation. The first is that although the diamond has been graded to be a Fancy Intense Blue, it must be a weak Intense, no more than a 3 on the intensity scale of 1-10. This assumption about the weakness of the intensity is based on the value that the auction house gave the diamond. The second scenario is that Sotheby’s simply made an error in its valuation. In this case, we should see a significant sale price compared to the valuation; anywhere between $6 million and $9 million. Let’s see what happens!

fancy intense blue

The 6.03 carat Fancy Intense Blue IF diamond     Image credit: Sotheby’s

 

Once this blue diamond is sold, it is time to move into pinks. Lot #411A is a 18.51 carat Fancy Pink diamond with a VVS1 clarity but is potentially Internally Flawless. Both its size and clarity are rare. If the buyer can keep the diamond above 18 carats and re-polish it to an IF, I would recommend to do so. It is valued at a final price between $5 million to $8 million, or $270k to $432k per carat. The current record held by a Fancy Purplish Pink is the 12.45 carat just sold in NY on April 19, 2016 that was sold for $366k per carat. That diamond was a VS2 clarity. If this diamond has a similar strength of color depth, then it should easily get the same $366k per carat. If the color is weak, the price should be in the $5 million to $6.5 million range. If the color is strong, the price should be in the $8 million to $9.5 million range. Let’s see what happens that day.

fancy pink geneva 2016

The 18.51 carat Fancy Pink VVS1 diamond     Image credit: Sotheby’s

 

The next pink diamond is Lot #420. This Fancy Purplish Pink weighs 8.20 carats, and has a VVS1 clarity with a diagram showing that it is potentially Internally Flawless. If the buyer can keep it above 8 carats after a re-polish, I would say that he/she absolutely should re-polish into an IF clarity. It is valued at $2 million to $4 million, or $244k to $488k per carat, which is quite a spread. If the color is right, the value should be in the range of $350k to $480k per carat, or $2.87 million to $3.94 million total. We might be surprised by this one.

 

8.20 carat Fancy Purplish Pink VVS1 diamond
The 8.20 carat Fancy Purplish Pink VVS1 diamond     Image credit: Sotheby’s

 

Lot #462 is a pair of pink and blue diamond earrings. The pear shaped Fancy Blue diamond weighs 8.85 carats and has a VS2 clarity, while the Fancy Orange Pink weighs 8.79 carat and has a VVS2 clarity. Currently they are valued at $2 million to $3 million in total. This is a bit of a challenge to analyze, but we shall try our best:

The last Fancy Orange Pink VVS2 diamond sold at auction was a 3.08 carat diamond that sold for $108k per carat back on December 1, 2015. This should put the 8.79 at a value of about $950k. The last Fancy Blue diamond with a VS1 clarity (the closest clarity that exists that was sold) was the 9.15 carat Fancy Blue diamond that once belonged to Mrs. Rachel ‘Bunny’ Mellon which sold back on November 20, 2014 for a record price of $2.965 million total or $324k per carat. If the colors are similar, this should put our diamond at a total value of about $2.87 million. Together, the 2 diamonds should be valued at about $3.8 million. Even if we assume that the colors are slightly weaker, or even remove the historical story of the 9.15 carat Fancy Blue Mellon diamond, we should still be above the high $3 million value given by Sotheby’s. I estimate the value to be in the $2.7-$4.2 million in total. Let’s see what the market values this pair at auction.

 

The 8.79 carat Fancy Orange Pink and 8.85 carat Fancy Blue pear shaped diamond earrings
The 8.79 carat Fancy Orange Pink and 8.85 carat Fancy Blue pear shaped diamond earrings     Image credit: Sotheby’s

 

We continue on to Lot #463. This Fancy Pink diamond weighs 11.19 carats and has a perfect Internally Flawless clarity, so there is no need to re-polish it. It is currently valued at $2.2 million to $4.2 million, or $196k to $375k per carat. The 18.51 carat diamond we looked at above is valued at $270-$432k per carat. In the case of this 11.19 carat diamond, we are in the right direction for valuation. The diamond does seem to have a weak color.

 

11.19 carat Fancy Pink IF diamond

The 11.19 carat Fancy Pink IF diamond     Image credit: Sotheby’s

 

Changing tone for a second brings us to Lot #469. Not very often do we see a Fancy Vivid Orange diamond in auction. This diamond weighs 2.09 carats and has a VVS2 clarity, which is also rare for orange diamonds. It is valued at $1.3 million to $1.8 million, or $622k to $861k per carat. This is a good value range. This diamond color is rare in auctions just like Fancy Vivid Green diamonds and purple diamonds.

 

2.09 carat Fancy Vivid Orange VVS2 diamond
The 2.09 carat Fancy Vivid Orange VVS2 diamond     Image credit: Sotheby’s

 

Lot #480 is another Fancy Pink diamond being offered. This one weighs 13.63 carat and has a VS2 clarity. Although size is significant, the clarity is quite the opposite. Therefore, the final price will depend on the depth of the diamond’s color and the strength of the pink color. Normally, in catalogs the colors of the diamonds are enhanced. This diamond is valued at $3.7 million to $5 million, or $271k to $$367k per carat. If color is not strong enough to overcome the low clarity, we will most likely see a sale price on the lower end of the valuation.

13.63 fancy pink geneva 2016

The 13.63 carat Fancy Pink VS2 diamond     Image credit: Sotheby’s

 

Stepping away from diamonds for a second, I want to mention the “Emperor Ruby”, Lot #484. In the last 2 years, we have seen many important rubies offered at auction and that broke significant records. The first was the Graff Ruby, the 8.62 carat ruby that  sold for $997k per carat. The next Ruby that broke the record was “The Sunrise Ruby”, a 25.59 carat ruby that sold for $1.185 million per carat. The Emperor Ruby is valued at $5m to $8 million and weighs 7.03 carats. If the color is strong, we might see a new record broken here. If the ruby sells at the high estimate or above, it will break a new world record per carat for a ruby. We shall see.

 

The Emperor Ruby

The 7.03 carat Emperor Ruby     Image credit: Sotheby’s

 

Let’s return to blue diamonds with Lot #486, a Fancy Blue VVS2 emerald cut diamond. It is an exceptionally large 14.18 carat diamond in size, the largest of its color to ever to be offered at auction. The previous largest Fancy Blue offered at auction was the 13.39 carat, also VVS2 diamond, offered at auction on May 31, 2011 by Christie’s in Hong Kong. It was sold for $568k per carat. If we extrapolate the price to our diamond, it should be in the range of $8 million. The valuation of the 14.18 carat Fancy Blue diamond is $3 million to $5 million. The valuation means that either the auction house evaluated the diamond very low to show a big gain above valuation, or the diamond’s color is weak, a borderline Fancy Light Blue and not a Fancy Blue.

 

14.18 carat Fancy Blue diamond
The 14.18 carat Fancy Blue diamond     Image credit: Sotheby’s

 

Lot #489 brings us back to pink diamonds. We rarely see a fancy color diamond above 20 carats, let alone one of such a popular color. This Fancy Pink weighs 21.11 carats and has a VVS2 clarity with a diagram stating that the clarity can be improved. Assuming that the buyer can keep the weight above 20 carats, and can get an IF clarity, I would recommend to proceed in order to raise the value. It is currently valued at $5 million to $9 million, which is quite a spread in value considering that this would be the largest Fancy Pink ever offered at auction. The 18.51 carat Fancy Pink discussed a little earlier is currently in that place. The value of the 21.11 carat diamond is estimated to be between $237k to $426k per carat. This value is somewhat in the same range as the 18.51 carat above. It would make sense only if this 21.11 color is slightly weaker, otherwise it should sell above the price of the 18.51 simply based on size. Therefore, it should sell on the high end of the valuation or break it.

 

21.11 carat Fancy Pink VVS2 diamond
The 21.11 carat Fancy Pink VVS2 diamond     Image credit: Sotheby’s

 

The last 2 items on offering are exceptional items for such an auction. Although we have seen the successful sale of the 10.10 carat De Beers Millennium Jewel 4 sell in Hong Kong back in March, we have also seen the failure of the 9.54 carat Fancy Deep Blue Shirley Temple diamond to sell. We don’t always know how the market will react, and it seems that even the auction houses don’t know what can happen at the bottom of the ninth inning. Lot #494 is an exceptional Fancy Vivid Blue pear shaped diamond. It weighs 7.32 carats, and is a perfection as its clarity is Internally Flawless. It has a large culet, which reminds me of the Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond. When the Wittelsbach-Graff was acquired by Lawrence Graff it was a 35.56 carat Fancy Deep Grayish Blue diamond with a VS2 clarity. When Graff finished re-polishing it into perfection, after much intense hard work, it stood at 31.06 carat Fancy Deep Blue color with Internally Flawless clarity. It took the removal of 4.50 carats to remove the grayish color from it, but in the process increasing its value tremendously, since its clarity was also improved to perfection. It was acquired on December 10, 2008 for the then record price of $23.4 million and was revealed again on January 7, 2010 with its new look and name. It is rumored that Graff sold it in June 2011 for a reported $80 million, making around a $67 million profit.

 

Wittelsbach-Diamond geneva 2016

The 31.06 Fancy Deep Blue ‘Wittelsbach Graff’ diamond     Image credit: Graff Diamonds

 

This sort of alteration was also done on the Shirley Temple diamond, when it was recut and 8 points were removed from it, also increasing its color in the same manner as the blue Graff diamond mentioned above, in the process increasing its own value as well. Further details of the Shirley Temple diamond history remain confidential. Most likely, the Shirley Temple diamond will sell on the private market soon enough.

 

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The 9.54 carat Fancy Deep Blue ‘Shirley Temple’ diamond     Image credit: Sotheby’s

 

Going back to our Lot #494, the 7.32 carat Fancy Vivid Blue diamond is valued at $15 million to $25 million, or $2.05 million to $3.415 million per carat. Although we do not know what people end up doing and the final price of this diamond, rest assured that the $2 million per carat low estimate value will be easily surpassed. I presume that the starting bid will be at $12 million to heat up the room and will quickly climb above $15 million within a minute or so. It will probably climb up to $20 million and at which point it might take a rest and will continue climbing.

 

7.32 ct fvb
The 7.32 carat Fancy Vivid Blue pear shaped diamond     Image credit: Sotheby’s

 

The current record for a 5-10 carat Fancy Vivid Blue diamond on a per carat price is held by the 9.75 carat Zoe Diamond, which also once belonged to Mrs. Rachel ‘Bunny’ Mellon and was the Blue diamond that started the crazy Blue diamond climb on November 20, 2014. It was sold for $3.35 million per carat. Can this new 7.32 carat blue diamond surpass the Zoe’s record? Anything is possible. Let’s not forget that the Zoe diamond had a VS1 clarity, quite low when compared to this 7.32 carat blue diamond. It is closer to the ‘Blue Moon of Josephine’ when comparing clarities, yet that diamond was a 12.03 carat diamond, well above 10 carats.

 

blue moon of josephine diamond-2

The 12.03 carat Fancy Vivid Blue ‘Blue Moon of Josephine’ diamond     Image credit: Sotheby’s

The last item to be offered at this auction is also the star of the evening.

“The Unique Pink” is the largest Fancy Vivid Pink pear shaped diamond to ever be offered at auction as of the date of the auction. It weighs 15.38 carats, and has a VVS2 clarity given by the GIA. It is currently valued at $28 million to $38 million or $1.82 million to $2.47 million per carat. The current record on a per carat basis for such a diamond remains to be $2.155 million per carat held by the 5.00 carat Fancy Vivid Pink diamond sold back in 2009 in Hong Kong. The current record holder for the total price for a pink diamond is still held by the Graff pink at $46.16 million total or $1.86 million per carat for the 24.78 carat Graff Pink diamond. At $2.155 million per carat, our diamond would be valued at $33.15 million total, which is at the mid-point of the current value given by Sotheby’s. If sold at the record total value of $46.16 million of the Graff Pink, it would be valued at a price of $3 million per carat. That is a tremendous objective, which I doubt it will reach. Without giving too many confidential details, this diamond was also re-polished, and in the process its color and clarity were increased to their current state. It was previously in the 17 carat size range.

 

The 15.38 carat Fancy Vivid Pink ‘Unique Pink’ diamond

The 15.38 carat Fancy Vivid Pink ‘Unique Pink’ diamond     Image credit: Sotheby’s

 

The diamond is currently owned by global diamond expert Ehud Laniado, who was also the previous owner of the Blue Moon diamond. The date of the certificate is April 17, 2015, suggesting that it was attempted to be sold privately but was not successful. As a diamond expert, Laniado knows a thing or two about diamonds. He has been quite active with his Mercury Diamond company, specializing in rough diamonds as well as polished. His attempts to continue the price transparency for the benefit of the industry continues on.

 

Ehud Arye Laniado

Global Diamond Expert Ehud Laniado

With a record number of items offered at above $1 million each (over 30 items), and of which 3 are above $10 million each, this auction is quite an exciting one to share. I look forward to reporting live from the auction in Geneva, and I look forward to sharing more insights on these special gifts of nature.

Got any thoughts about any of these high value diamonds? Will Sotheby’s manage to reach their predicted prices? Let us know what you think in the comments!

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