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This 15-Carat Purple-Pink Diamond Could Fetch $38M at Auction
The internally flawless Type IIa stone is the star of Christie’s Magnificent Jewels sale next month in Hong Kong.
“The Sakura Diamond” is expected to be the star of Christie’s May Magnificent Jewels sale in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong—Christie’s upcoming Magnificent Jewels auction in Hong Kong is aptly titled, with one incredible stone leading the sale.
It is offering “The Sakura Diamond” at the May 23 auction, which it says is the largest purple-pink flawless diamond to ever appear at auction.
The 15.81-carat, fancy vivid purple-pink internally flawless Type IIa diamond ring is expected to fetch between $25 million and $38 million.
In Japanese, “Sakura” means cherry blossom, the flower that famously blooms for a short-but-brilliant period at the beginning of spring.
“Christie’s has offered some of the largest and the rarest pink diamonds in history across our global salerooms, highlighted by The Winston Pink Legacy sold in Geneva in 2018 that still holds the auction record per carat for any pink diamond,” Christie’s Asia Pacific Department of Jewelry Chairman Vickie Sek said in a statement.
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It is offering “The Sakura Diamond” at the May 23 auction, which it says is the largest purple-pink flawless diamond to ever appear at auction.
The 15.81-carat, fancy vivid purple-pink internally flawless Type IIa diamond ring is expected to fetch between $25 million and $38 million.
In Japanese, “Sakura” means cherry blossom, the flower that famously blooms for a short-but-brilliant period at the beginning of spring.
“Christie’s has offered some of the largest and the rarest pink diamonds in history across our global salerooms, highlighted by The Winston Pink Legacy sold in Geneva in 2018 that still holds the auction record per carat for any pink diamond,” Christie’s Asia Pacific Department of Jewelry Chairman Vickie Sek said in a statement.
“This season we are very honored to continue this fine tradition by presenting The Sakura Diamond in Hong Kong. This exceptionally rare and magnificent wonder of nature represents a unique expression of identity and mesmerizing beauty through its enthralling purple-pink hue, that will undoubtedly capture the hearts of discerning connoisseurs and collectors worldwide.”
Christie’s noted the many characteristics that make The Sakura Diamond special.
For one, a diamond’s pink color is due to the distortion of its crystal lattice that happens at random, making the stone extremely difficult to cut, Christie’s said.
The Sakura Diamond’s size is extremely rare for a pink diamond, with less than 10 percent of fancy colored diamonds of that color weighing more than 0.2 carats.
Additionally, only 4 percent of pink diamonds feature a “fancy vivid” color depth, according to the GIA.
Lastly, the stone is Type IIa, which accounts for less than 2 percent of gem-quality diamonds.
The Sakura Diamond will take an Asian tour beginning this month, stopping in Shanghai, Beijing, Taipei and Hong Kong for previews, before finally going up on the block May 23.
Christie’s noted the many characteristics that make The Sakura Diamond special.
For one, a diamond’s pink color is due to the distortion of its crystal lattice that happens at random, making the stone extremely difficult to cut, Christie’s said.
The Sakura Diamond’s size is extremely rare for a pink diamond, with less than 10 percent of fancy colored diamonds of that color weighing more than 0.2 carats.
Additionally, only 4 percent of pink diamonds feature a “fancy vivid” color depth, according to the GIA.
Lastly, the stone is Type IIa, which accounts for less than 2 percent of gem-quality diamonds.
The Sakura Diamond will take an Asian tour beginning this month, stopping in Shanghai, Beijing, Taipei and Hong Kong for previews, before finally going up on the block May 23.
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