Estrela de Fura fetch US$ 34,804,500
Sotheby’s the Eternal Pink also draw US$ 3.4mn
Sotheby’s announced the result of Magnificent Jewels and said, Estrela de Fura: 55.22, the cushion-cut ruby weighing 55.22 carats set as a ring, size 6½, Lot Sold for 34,804,500 USD while the Eternal Pink, The cushion mixed-cut Fancy Vivid Purplish Pink diamond weighing 10.57 carats set as a ring, flanked by trapezoid-shaped diamonds, size 6½ sold for 34,804,500 USD.
An Extraordinary Sapphire and Diamond Ring-an emerald-cut sapphire weighing 33.51 carats, accented by baguette diamonds, size 6½, signed Cartier sold for 3,266,500 USD.
From dazzling colored diamonds and gemstones to an impressive selection of vintage jewels by renowned houses such as Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels, this June’s auction of Magnificent Jewels features several important private collections. Headlining the sale are two extraordinary gems: an electrifying 10.57-carat Fancy Vivid Purplish Pink diamond and the largest gem-quality ruby ever to come to market.
Extraordinary Jewels from the Mellon Family. Sotheby’s is honored to present a selection of jewels from the collections of Constance Prosser Mellon and Constance Barber Mellon in our Magnificent and Fine Jewels auctions.
The Eternal Pink: The color pink is said to be rare in nature. The dawn, the sunset, flowers, the plumage of an exotic bird; these are the only places our ancestors would have regularly encountered it. Perhaps this is why we are so viscerally drawn to pink. It denotes something special, beautiful and fleeting. Over the centuries, artists and craftspeople inspired by this rare color have expanded the number of pink objects we see and desire.
In eighteenth-century France, pink became popular in fashion and art, and it has remained so to varying degrees ever since, rendering even the most humble objects dear. Yet our love affair with pink shows no signs of waning, and in the world of gemology pink diamonds are as awe-inspiring as the transient dawn skies and spring flowers were to our ancestors. Pink diamonds embody this most prized of colors in an enduring, eternal form.
The Eternal Pink, however, is not the pink of Fragonard or Boucher. It is not soft; it is not subtle. It is an electrifying, otherworldly shade of fuchsia that impresses and astonishes even the most seasoned gemologists and gem lovers. It is a sensational stone that commands attention and makes all other Fancy Vivid diamonds seem pale by comparison.
Of the great storied diamonds of history, only a few have been pink, and these have always been highly treasured. The Agra, the Regent, the Williamson Pink and the Darya-i-Noor were among the most prized possessions of great rulers. The GIA’s monograph on the Eternal Pink diamond notes that its rarity is “difficult to overstate.”
Of all the diamonds submitted to the GIA, less than 3% are classified as colored diamonds, and less than 5% of those are considered predominantly pink. Most of these diamonds fall within the Faint to Fancy color grades and are small in size. In 2018, the GIA selected a sample of 1,000 pink diamonds graded between 2008 and 2016 and found that 83% weighed less than one carat.
With its remarkable Fancy Vivid Purplish-Pink color, Internally Flawless clarity and impressive 10.57 carat weight, the Eternal Pink is arguably the most important pink diamond ever to appear at auction. Pink diamonds have always been scarce, but the recent closure of the Argyle mine in Australia has made the future availability of newly-mined pink diamonds a matter of uncertainty.
In its letter accompanying the diamond report for the Eternal Pink, the GIA states, “Purplish pink diamonds with this level of saturation or intensity have typically been confined to diamonds found in the now closed Argyle mine in Australia. The contrast is that the Argyle diamonds rarely weighed more than one carat.”
Estrela de Fura: 55.22: Rich and fiery in color, alluring and seductive in depth, the ruby has long reigned supreme in the world of colored gems. In ancient Sanskrit, the ruby is called ‘Ratnaraj’ or ‘King of Precious Stones.’ The storied gem was worn by warriors for protection and by royalty to demonstrate wealth. Rubies were also believed to have healing properties and wearing them close to the skin was thought to bring good luck to the wearer.
In July of 2022, Fura miners in Montepuez discovered something they never had expected to find – a remarkably transparent, stunningly vivid rough ruby weighing a staggering 101 carats that was dubbed ‘Estrela de Fura,’ or Star of Fura in Portuguese. Unveiled in Dubai in September 2022, the Estrela de Fura quickly garnered the attention of the world as the largest gem-quality ruby ever discovered.
Heera Zhaveraat (HZ International) A Diamond, Watch and Jewellery Trade Promotion Magazine provide dealers and manufactures with the key analytical information they need to succeed in the luxury industry. Pricing, availability and market information in the Magazine provides a critical edge.
