Sotheby’s set a new world record for a jewellery auction after its Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels sale in Geneva realised US$175,097,419 on May 17, surpassing the US$160.9 million achieved in 2015. The auction’s star performer was the “Unique Pink,” an extremely rare fancy vivid pink diamond weighing 15.38 carats that sold for US$31,561,200 or a price per carat of US$2,052,094. In addition to receiving the highest possible colour grading for a pink diamond from the Gemological Institute of America, the Unique Pink has been found to be a Type IIA stone, displaying an “exceedingly pure structure,” according to the auction house. The stone’s exquisite pear shape and brilliant cut accentuate its exceptional saturation, placing it in a rarefied category even among the world’s most beautiful diamonds, added Sotheby’s. Speaking after the sale, David Bennett, worldwide chairman of Sotheby’s International Jewellery Division, commented, “Exactly one year after having set the world record for a jewellery sale, Sotheby’s Geneva has raised the bar once again with a great sale and a great result for the Unique Pink. It is difficult to imagine a diamond that better illustrates the term vivid pink than this outstanding stone. The colour is simply astonishing and, for its size, it is in my experience truly unique. We set out to curate a sale that would speak to today’s collectors and the response has been overwhelming – confirmation, if ever it were needed, that when you have the right material, demand is as deep as it’s ever been. This was a sale that had the perfect mix of great gemstones and jewels, the vast majority of which were sourced from private collections.” Other highlights of the sale included a fancy vivid blue internally flawless diamond ring of 7.32 carats, which fetched US$17,112,629 or US$2,337,791 per carat; a new record set for a jewel by Reza from a noble collection – a brooch featuring a 6.64-carat fancy intense blue diamond, which sold for $13.7 million; an important fancy pink diamond pendant weighing 18.51 carats, which was snapped up for $9,773,672; and a pair of important pear-shaped VS2 fancy blue and VVS2 fancy orangey pink diamond earrings, weighing 8.85 and 8.79 carats, respectively, which sold for US$5,989,522. The sale also achieved a new record for an online purchase in a live auction for a pair of earrings, which was sold for US$6 million. |  A brooch by Reza featuring a 6.64-carat fancy intense blue diamond, which sold for $13.7 million |
