CollectionsApr 03, 2026
Taylor Swift’s ‘Elizabeth Taylor’ Video Puts Jewelry Front and CenterIconic pieces, like the Mike Todd Diamond Tiara, appear in the superstar’s new music video for her song inspired by the actress.
AuctionsNov 16, 2017
Raj Pink, Donnersmarck Diamonds Fail to Sell at Auction
They were two of the top lots at Sotheby’s jewelry sale held Wednesday in Geneva.
The 37.30-carat “Raj Pink” diamond, described as “a very bright and ravishing fancy intense pink color” by the Gemological Institute of America, didn’t sell at auction Wednesday.
Geneva--A pink diamond said to be the largest fancy intense pink diamond in the world was one of a few lots that failed to sell at Sotheby’s Wednesday.
At the Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels sale in Geneva, neither the “Raj Pink” nor the historic “Donnersmarck Diamonds” sold.
The 37.30-carat Raj Pink was the highlight of the sale, estimated to garner between $20 million and $30 million.
According to Reuters, bidding opened at $10.02 million and rose to about $14.1 million before the auction stalled.
The diamond’s current owner, who has chosen to remain anonymous, gave the stone its name, which is based on the Sanksrit word for “king.”
The rough that yielded the Raj Pink was studied for more than a year after its discovery in 2015, the auction house said, before a master cutter turned it into a cushion-modified brilliant cut.
The Gemological Institute of America has examined the diamond, saying it is an “astonishing stone” with a hue that is a “very bright and ravishing fancy intense pink color.”
Meanwhile, the Donnersmarck Diamonds (pictured below), a 102.54-carat cushion-shaped stone and an 82.47-carat pear, were offered as a single lot. The pair was expected to sell for between $9 million and $14 million, but only reached a bid high of $7.9 million, Reuters said.
The diamonds’ interesting provenance was one of their main selling points.
Countess Henckel von Donnersmarck, or “La Païva” as she eventually became known, was, arguably, the most famous and successful of the 19th century French courtesans, rising to become European aristocracy.
Running away to Paris at the age of 18, she fell in with the right cultural and artistic circles, marrying Marquis Albino Francisco de Araújo de Païva, an heir to two important Macao wholesale fortunes, in 1851.
The two were married for only a day but it gave her the nickname she’d have the rest of her life.
She then met her next husband, Count Guido Henckel von Donnersmarck, one of Europe’s richest men. The two married in 1871, and it is believed that it was during this time that she acquired what came to be known as the Donnersmarck Diamonds.
After she died in 1884, the stones stayed in the count’s family for more than a century until they appeared at auction in 2007. At that time, they garnered $8 million between them.
Sotheby’s did not offer a comment about the lots not
selling when reached by National Jeweler. And according to its website, there were a number of other pieces that went unsold.
The Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels sale totaled $78.9 million.
Its top lot turned out to be a 33.63-carat step-cut fancy light pink diamond set in a Harry Winston ring, which garnered $12.8 million.
The next highest-selling lot jumped down to $5 million for a 18.86-carat ruby ring; $4.1 million for a necklace set with a cushion-shaped fancy intense yellow diamond weighing 102.50 carats, set in a frame of brilliant-cut diamonds with a “fringe” made of pear-shaped diamonds, brilliant-cut diamonds and diamonds of yellow tint; and a $2.6 million 22.76-carat step-cut diamond ring.
Full results can be found on Sothebys.com.
The Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels sale totaled $78.9 million.
Its top lot turned out to be a 33.63-carat step-cut fancy light pink diamond set in a Harry Winston ring, which garnered $12.8 million.
The next highest-selling lot jumped down to $5 million for a 18.86-carat ruby ring; $4.1 million for a necklace set with a cushion-shaped fancy intense yellow diamond weighing 102.50 carats, set in a frame of brilliant-cut diamonds with a “fringe” made of pear-shaped diamonds, brilliant-cut diamonds and diamonds of yellow tint; and a $2.6 million 22.76-carat step-cut diamond ring.
Full results can be found on Sothebys.com.
The Latest
MajorsApr 03, 2026
Saks Global Says It Will Emerge From Bankruptcy This SummerThe luxury retailer, which went Chapter 11 in January, announced Thursday that it has secured $500 million in exit financing.
Events & AwardsApr 03, 2026
JCK Luxury, NouvelleBox Partner on New Designer BallroomThe NouvelleBox ballroom will feature independent jewelry designers, including Lene Vibe, Wyld Box Jewelry, and Kiaia Limited.
Brought to you by
Protect Your Customers and Your BusinessYou deserve to know what you are selling–to protect your customers as well as your business and your reputation.
CollectionsApr 03, 2026
Buddha Mama Brings Its ‘Moon’ Locket To DallasThe one-of-a-kind locket, our Piece of the Week, opens to reveal three hidden images to keep close to your heart.
Weekly QuizApr 02, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
MajorsApr 02, 2026
Pandora Opens New Canadian Distribution Center Amid Tariff ConcernsThe new facility was also designed to better serve its growing customer base in Canada.
TrendsApr 02, 2026
Michelle Yeoh Fronts New Mikimoto Campaign The campaign is a tribute to the year 1893, when Kokichi Mikimoto created the world’s first cultured pearl.
Brought to you by
Is This You? Every Jeweler Has This Problem; We Have the Solution.Every jeweler faces the same challenge: helping customers protect what they love. Here’s the solution designed for today’s jewelry business.
GradingApr 02, 2026
GIA Debuts New Campus in TaiwanIt is the only GIA school to offer the GIA Graduate Gemologist program in Chinese.
MajorsApr 02, 2026
DCA Launches ‘Second Spark’ Workforce InitiativeThe initiative connects veterans and parents returning to the workforce with careers in jewelry retail.
MajorsApr 02, 2026
Hoover & Strong Names New National Sales RepresentativeThe wholesale manufacturer and precious metals refiner has appointed Michael Angelo as its new national sales representative.
MajorsApr 01, 2026
Foundrae Sues Pandora for Allegedly Copying Its Medallion DesignsFoundrae also accused the jewelry giant of copying its mood board style of marketing.
SurveysApr 01, 2026
Consumers’ Outlook Improves Again in MarchThe Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index edged up, with optimism about the present outweighing worries about the future.
IndependentsApr 01, 2026
Zachary’s Jewelers’ Constance Polamalu to Release Children’s BookThe retailer’s Zach Bear gift comes to life in “Zach Bear and the Window Necklace,” which centers on curiosity, bravery, and helping.
Events & AwardsApr 01, 2026
AGA Opens 2026 Gemological Scholarship, Research Grant ApplicationsApplications are open for the AGA Gemological Scholarship Program through May 15, and until June 2027 for the Gemological Research Grant.
ColumnistsMar 31, 2026
Q1 Clues That Reveal Where Your Jewelry Store’s Sales Are Heading These customer behavior patterns say a lot about how successful your jewelry store is going to be this year, Emmanuel Raheb writes.
CollectionsMar 31, 2026
Mejuri Adds Silver to ‘Puzzle’ CollectionMejuri’s popular collection of 18-karat yellow gold vermeil rings debuted in sterling silver alongside new “Puzzle” slider charms.
CollectionsMar 31, 2026
Buddha Mama, Ashley Longshore to Host Pop-Up in DallasThe Miami-based jewelry brand and the NYC-based artist will be in Dallas from April 9-11.
SourcingMar 31, 2026
NDC Designates April 8 as 'World Diamond Day'The initiative invites those in the industry to share stories on social media highlighting the meaning and impact of natural diamonds.
SourcingMar 31, 2026
GIA VP Jillian Wolk to Take Over at Tracr Wolk’s first day on the job as CEO of Tracr, De Beers Group’s blockchain platform, will be May 1.
EditorsMar 30, 2026
Tom Moses Looks Back on His Decades at GIA Moses, who will leave the lab in May after nearly 50 years, discusses his start in the business, gemstones that stand out, and what’s next.
TrendsMar 30, 2026
Oscar Heyman Debuts First Spring CatalogThe new catalog, which showcases 35 one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry, is a compliment to the company’s popular holiday catalog.
SourcingMar 30, 2026
Rio Tinto Hauls Last Load from DiavikProduction has ceased at the Canadian diamond mine, which has yielded more than 150 million carats of rough diamonds in its 23-year run.
MajorsMar 30, 2026
Tanishq Opens First New England LocationThe store opening marks the 10th United States location for the India-based jewelry retailer.
MajorsMar 27, 2026
Saks Global Has Changed Its Mind About Closing These 3 StoresTwo Saks Fifth Avenue locations, one in Florida and one in California, and one Neiman Marcus store are off the chopping block.
IndependentsMar 27, 2026
Jimmy West, Longtime LJG Executive Director, Dies at 72West, who started in the art department at the Leading Jewelers Guild in 1979, is remembered for his patience, kindness, and dedication.
CollectionsMar 27, 2026
Itä’s ‘Yarí Whirl’ Ring Tells Every Side of the StoryIn the “Tesoro” version of the ring, our Piece of the Week, each side of the gold hexagonal nugget has a unique colored gemstone design.
