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Spring Auctions Showcase Part 1: Fancy-Color Diamonds Perform Spectacularly
Auction season is here, and once again fancy-color diamonds and diamond jewelry are dominating the chatter. Colored diamonds that extend beyond the GIA D-to-Z color scale are referred to as “fancy-color diamonds” and come in a rainbow of colors from yellow to blue to pink.
One particularly shining example was seen on April 24 in London, when Bonhams auctioned a cushion-cut Fancy Deep blue diamond ring. The unique stone is set in a circa-1965 Bulgari ‘Trombino’ ring, surrounded by white diamonds. Large natural color blue diamonds are extremely rare and highly sought after so this gem’s rarity and extraordinary size of 5.30 carats fetched an astounding $9.5 million at auction.
GIA quality analysis: VS2 clarity; Fancy Deep blue, natural color
Bulgari ‘Trombino’ ring. Image courtesy of Bohmans.
On April 16 Christie’s New York auctioned “The Princie Diamond,” a historic cushion-cut Fancy Intense pink weighing 34.65 carats. Originating from the Golconda mines in India, this diamond is type IIa, which is the most chemically pure type of diamond, possessing exceptional optical transparency. This unique diamond sold for a record-setting $39,323,750, or $1,135,000 per carat.
GIA quality analysis: VS2 clarity, Fancy Intense pink, natural color
34.65 carat Princie Diamond. Image courtesy of Christie’s Images Ltd. 2013.
Also on April 16, Christie’s New York auctioned a ring set with a cut-cornered rectangular modified brilliant-cut Fancy pink-brown diamond, weighing 35.60 carats. The stunning pink-brown diamond is flanked on either side by a tapered baguette-cut diamond, and mounted in platinum and 18K pink gold. This ring was estimated at $1,400,000-$1,800,000 and sold for $1,683,750.
GIA quality analysis: VS1 clarity, Fancy pink-brown, natural color
35.60 carats Fancy pink-brown diamond. Image courtesy of Christie’s Images Ltd. 2013.
Interested in learning more about how GIA evaluates fancy-color diamonds? Check out the “GIA Colored Diamond Grading Report” or visit “Why are the Finest Fancy-Color Diamonds found at Auction” to find out why fancy-color diamonds tend to command such high prices at jewelry auctions.