Pre-Auction Analysis: Nov. 10th, Christie’s Magnificent Jewels, Nov. 11th, Sotheby’s Spirit of the Rose, Geneva

As most of the industry has been prevented from flying during this special period and inspect the lots physically, we believe this current analysis is even more relevant than ever.                                                 

Our Christie’s and Sotheby’s Geneva Pre-Auction Analysis focuses on elements that are hidden from the unprofessional eye. We will describe the important visual elements for those who cannot attend the preview and discuss characteristics that cannot be taken from the GIA report such as: Undertone, Color Dispersion, and Inner-Grade (UDI; a detailed explanation appears at the bottom of this article). When we analyze and grade any Fancy Color Diamond it is always done in relation to its GIA grade.

We use grades 1, 2, 3, and 4, 1 being the lowest grade. Grade + is granted in rare cases and stands for stones with an exceptional characteristic. Stones that receive a minimum total UDI score of 8, without a red remark, are considered to be “Gems” and are generally suitable for high-end jewelry collections, collectors and the investment community.

• For your convenience, we have added direct links for the GIA reports.

• All images in this article review were taken with an iPhone and no filters were applied.
• All auction valuations are per carat and in US Dollars.

Christie’s Geneva Magnificent Jewels, November 10th, 2020

Lot #354

2.05 carat, Fancy Intense Blue, Pear shape, VVS1

2.06 carat, Fancy Grayish Blue, Pear shape (color only)

1.07 carat, Fancy Intense Pink, Marquise (color only)

1.06 carat, Fancy Intense Pink, Marquise, S12

Price Realized: $2,646,276 total

Two pear shapes with different color composition have been placed together on the top of these blue and pink dangling earrings. One is an intense blue and the other, fancy gray-blue. The latter has a color-only report, usually made for stones that have clarity grade lower than SI2. Both stones exhibit a dark tone of color.

2.05 Fancy Intense Blue

To review the GIA Report of 2.05 ct FIB Click here 

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2.06 Fancy Grayish Blue

To review the GIA Report of 2.06 ct Fancy Grayish Blue Click here 

1.07 Fancy Intense Pink

To review the GIA Report of 1.07 ct FIP Click here 

1.06 Fancy Intense Pink

To review the GIA Report of 1.06 FIP Click here 

Total Average Score: 8 out of 12

Lot #338

28.88 carat, Fancy Vivid Yellow, Emerald, VVS2. High catalog estimation: $126,411 per carat

Price Realized: $107,974 pc

A large vivid yellow Emerald cut diamond with an appealing symbolic weight. The Inner-grade is extremely high with no brown or green undertone in the color, exhibiting an absolute yellow. The color dispersion is above the average for a step cut.  

Total Visual Score: 11 out of 12

To review the GIA Report of 28.88 ct FVY Click here 

Lot #350

107.46 carat, Fancy Yellow, Radiant, VS2. GRAFF. High catalog estimation: $33,973 per carat

Price Realized: $28,088 pc

A very large Old-Mine cushion cut diamond with a solid Inner-Grade and a pleasant yellow undertone. Color dispersion is quite low but it is a typical feature in old-mine cut diamonds as well as a very high depth percentage, 74% in this case.

Total Visual Score: 8 out of 12

To review the GIA Report of 107.46 ct FY Click here 

Lot #356

3.96 carat, Fancy Deep Blue, Pear, SI1. High catalog estimation: $656,511 per carat

Price Realized: $439,214 pc

A Fancy Deep Blue pear shape with a very prominent gray undertone. 

Total Visual Score: 7 out of 12

To review the GIA Report of 3.96 ct FDB Click here

Lot #349

1.05 carat, Fancy Purplish Red, Radiant, VS2. GRAFF. High catalog estimation: $1,791,140 per carat

Price Realized: $2,625,000 pc

Although the red hue is perceived to be a universal color, when it comes to Fancy Color diamonds, we can find several versions of the GIA Fancy Red definition. The GIA color variations can exhibit a purple undertone to a brown undertone. Interestingly, very few diamonds exhibit a real red hue. The inner-grade and color dispersion in Red diamonds is always at its highest level. As for the undertone, this 1.05 ct has a strong brown undertone and is quite far from from a pure Red.      

Total Visual Score: 9 out of 12

To review the GIA Report of 1.05 ct Fancy Purplish Red Click here 

Lot #266

3.81 carat, Fancy Purplish Pink, Pear. High catalog estimation: $163,058 per carat

Didn’t Reach the minimum

A Fancy Pink pear shape with a color origin report (“half report”) from 2012. The stone has a very high Inner-grade, bordering to the intense grade. The color dispersion is above average covering most of the face up view of the stone. The stone is heavily included and would have probably received an I1 clarity if it had a full report. 

Total Visual Score: 10 out of 12

To review the GIA Report of 3.81 ct Fancy Purplish Pink Click here 

Sotheby’s Geneva Spirit of the Rose, November 11th, 2020

Lot #204

14.83 carat, Fancy Vivid Purple-Pink, Oval, IF. (Type IIa).  High catalog estimation: $2,585,714 per carat

Price Realized: $1,793,276 pc

This large and important Fancy Vivid Pink diamond is the most important Fancy Color Diamond ever found in Russia, during modern times. 

The most prominent visual feature of this pink diamond, would be its attractive and pleasant “sweet” undertone. A visual characteristic that comes naturally in most pink diamonds, with a purple modifier. 

Pink diamonds that are seasoned with a “Purple” hue, will evoke associations of innocence, femininity, baby girl clothes or even sweets; and as such, will be more visually attractive in comparison to most solid “Pink” diamonds. Moreover, it will meet our expectations of a pink color as most of us imagine it. 

The Inner-Grade of this impressive Pink Fancy Color diamond is low in comparison to most vivid Pinks. Although there is some leakage of color under the table, due to angle inaccuracies of the pavilion facets, the color dispersion is quite even throughout the face-up view of the diamond.

The fact the stone is Type IIa (indicating the absence of nitrogen in the crystal), has no positive impact whatsoever on Pink diamonds. Mentioning this gemological characteristic is merely a form of plagiarism and could lead collectors to believe this is a valuable feature. The lack of nitrogen in diamonds is actually only relevant in colorless diamonds. 

Total Visual Score: 9 out of 12   

To review the GIA Report of 14.83 Fancy Vivid Purple-Pink Click here 

General

We use 1, 2, 3, 4, and 4+ to grade the three visual elements that GIA is silent about, however they impact the value dramatically.

Inner-Grade refers to the strength of color within each GIA saturation category:

Grade 1 weakest, bordering the saturation below.

Grade 2 weak (most abounded).

Grade 3 full-bodied color (above average).

Grade 4 very strong saturation.

Grade 4+ applies for the vivid category only, exhibiting the strongest possible saturation (rarely seen).

Undertone refers to a subtle hue influence in the body color of the stone.

For example:

A Fancy Blue Diamond with a significant gray presence in its general appearance will be graded with a low undertone grade of 1. A Fancy Blue that has no gray influence and will be close to a primary blue will receive the grade, 4.

In a Pink Fancy Color Diamond, a stone with a warm undertone (such as orange or brown) will receive a low undertone grade. A pink stone with a cold undertone (such as purple) will receive a high grade.

In Yellow Fancy Color Diamonds, low foreign influence or a light orange influence will grant the stone a high undertone grade. When the yellow undertone looks like a true primary yellow, it will receive the rare grade 4+. Green and brown undertones will grant a low grade in the yellow category.

Color Dispersion relates to how well the color is dispersed in the face-up view of a Fancy Color Diamond, regardless to whether the GIA grades the stone as even. A stone with many colorless areas will receive the grade 1, while a stone that exhibits its face-up view with no colorless patches will receive the grade 4+. Unlike the first two elements, the color dispersion is not a gemological quality and has only to do with cutter proficiency.