Pre-Auction Impressions: Christie’s Geneva

Today Christie’s will feature a 16.08 ct, cushion-shaped, Fancy Vivid Pink, VVS2 diamond. The high estimate is $1.7 million per carat.

As we have stated in various pre-auction articles, there is a significant difference between the catalogue and the stone in real life. Although this diamond has quite an attractive color, most of it is concentrated in the table area, which creates a noticeable colorless frame.

The colorless frame is fairly obscured because the stone is mounted, with pink gold surrounding the lower part of the pavilion on the bottom. Christie’s specified that this diamond is a Type IIa, but as we’ve explained in the past this is an unnecessary piece of information to emphasize because geologically the color is weakened for Type IIa diamonds when they are exposed to any UV light. Looking at realized prices for pinks on the market, the diamond has a relatively low estimate price considering its extreme rarity.

Previously owned large Vivid Pinks in this category are offered at auction about once every three or four years and new stones from rough enter the market every 5-7 years.