Nothing journeys across continents, generations, people, and hands like a gem. Proof lies in this enormous Bulgari ring, a glorious 24-carat emerald-cut pink diamond that is the cynosure of the upcoming Christie’s Magnificent Jewels auction in November. Making it even more special is the fact that it remained in the private hands of a distinguished European noble family for over 70 years and has never before been offered for sale at auction. The Bulgari Pink Diamond carries an estimate of $18 million. However, what is even more interesting is what happened before these seven decades.
The blindingly beautiful diamond was actually sourced in the 1950s from India as a rough diamond by the owner’s great-grandfather. It was given its innate charm, beauty, and flawless elegance by Bulgari. Even seven decades later, its pristine pinkness remains intact and its allure unmatched, proving the Roman jeweler was entrusted by the world’s most discerning collectors and patrons for good reason. Bulgari became a star in its own right, catering to the Hollywood glitterati, royals, and collectors like Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer. The diamond, featuring a coveted Fancy Intense Pink color grade with a refined rectangular step-cut and classified as a Type IIa diamond, went into the vaults of the wealthy European clan.
Weighing exactly 24.00 carats, the Bulgari Pink, with its Type IIa classification qualifies as the purest form of diamond, which comprises less than two percent of all mined diamonds. The stone’s size and hue make it exceedingly rare. The Bulgari Pink will now headline the Christie’s Magnificent Jewels live auction, which will take place at the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues in Geneva on November 10, with the jewel on view from November 5 to November 10. There is little doubt it will smash this estimate, especially since Western Australia’s Argyle Mine closed in 2020, demand for pink diamonds has outstripped a rapidly dwindling supply.
In 2021, Christie’s auctioned the Sakura Diamond, a 15.81-carat purple-pink diamond, for nearly $30 million. Clearly, there are high hopes for the debut of the Bulgari Pink, an even larger exceptional pink diamond. This optimism is even more well founded when considering the CTF Pink Star. This almost 60-carat Fancy Vivid Pink, Internally Flawless oval mixed-cut diamond holds the record for the most expensive diamond or gemstone ever sold at auction, having been purchased by Hong Kong jeweler Chow Tai Fook for $71.2 million at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in April 2017.
