A 24-karat pink diamond will be auctioned at Christie’s Geneva auction with a price tag of $18 million.
The diamond will be part of Christie’s “Magnificent Jewels” sale, which will be held as part of the Autumn Luxury Week in Geneva. Part of the diamond’s appeal is the story behind it. The 24-karat diamond was mined in India and acquired by the ancestors of the current owner. The family commissioned Bulgari in the 1950s to convert the unpolished diamond into a jewellery piece. It has remained within the family since then.
Another reason behind the diamond’s appeal is its looks. It carries the distinction of Type IIa, a rather rare label given to less than 2 percent of global diamonds. There is also its distinctive pink color, which makes it appear more stunning than a regular diamond. Pink diamonds are created due to structural deformities in their lattice, caused by the earth’s pressure; the deformity changes the way the lattice interacts with light, thus giving it its pink hue.
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The auction house’s press release regarding the diamond said: “With major Hollywood productions filming at Cinecittà Studios, international stars gathered in the city, creating what became known as ‘Hollywood on the Tiber. Bulgari’s boutique at Via Condotti became a social and cultural meeting point, welcoming many of the world’s most renowned celebrities, including Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer, to name two Hollywood couples.”
