‘The Vivid Pink’ To Lead Christie’s Hong Kong Sale of Extraordinary Jewels this Autumn Season

'The Vivid Pink’ is the largest Fancy Vivid Pink Potentially Flawless diamond to ever be offered for sale at auction.

Set in a ring by famed international jeweller Graff, this extremely rare 5 carat cushion-cut pink diamond from an esteemed private collection is estimated at HK$39- $55 million (US$5-7 million), making it one of the finest and most important pink diamonds to be offered at auction.

Hong Kong - Christie’s is pleased to announce that leading the autumn sale of magnificent jewels in Hong Kong on December 1 is ‘The Vivid Pink’, one of the finest Vivid Pink diamonds to ever appear for sale at auction. Property of an esteemed private collector and weighing an exacting 5.00 carats, it is the largest Fancy Vivid Pink Potentially Flawless diamond to ever be offered for sale at auction. As high quality jewels become increasingly rare on the market, ‘The Vivid Pink’ represents an exciting opportunity for the serious gem collector. It ranks as one of the most important coloured diamonds to be offered for sale at auction and is estimated at HK$39- $55 million (US$5-7 million).

In the fascinating realm of natural colour diamonds, those of a distinct pink hue are among the rarest and most sought after. Gemmologists are still unsure as to the origin of the colour in pink diamonds. Previously assumed to be the result of the element manganese in the atomic structure, it is now thought to be the consequence of an alteration in the atomic lattice. Regardless of how pink diamonds obtain their colour, their beauty mesmerizes collectors the world over and their rarity results in auction prices as extraordinary as the diamonds themselves.

Set in a ring by leading international jeweller Graff, known for handling some of the world's most important gems such as The Begum Blue, The Golden Star and The Star of Lesotho, ‘The Vivid Pink’ is a precious jewel and represents a true rarity on the market. While the vast majority of natural pink diamonds exhibit a colour modifier like purple, orange or grey, ‘The Vivid Pink’ shows absolutely no trace of a secondary colour, making it exceedingly rare, both commercially and naturally. Its even colour depth and distribution, combined with a balanced saturation and tone of the straight pink hue, qualify ‘The Vivid Pink’ for the coveted Fancy Vivid colour grading from the GIA. That only one in one hundred thousand diamonds possesses a colour deep enough to qualify as ‘Fancy’ underscores its absolute rarity. This highly-coveted straight pink, along with its Potentially Flawless clarity combine in a diamond that will be among the most sought-after by collectors this year.

In advance of the December 1 sale in Hong Kong, ‘The Vivid Pink’ will be on view in the following cities around the world:

New York: October 17-20 Christie’s Rockefeller Center Galleries

Singapore: October 29-30 Christie’s Singapore (by appointment only)

Bangkok: November 11-12 Christie’s Bangkok (by appointment only)

Geneva: November 15-17 Four Seasons, Hotel des Bergues

Taipei: November 21-22 Fubon Life Assurance Building

Hong Kong November 27-December 1 Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre

Christie’s – The World’s Leading Auction House for Magnificent Jewels Christie’s has been the world market leader in jewellery for the past fifteen years in a row, with jewellery sales totalling over $383 million in 2008.

Christie's holds the world record price for a pink diamond at auction and has achieved three of the top five prices for pink diamonds in the international auction jewellery market.

The Current Record of a Pink Diamond at Auction: A rectangular-cut fancy pink VVS2 diamond of 19.66cts sold at Christie’s Geneva in November 1994 for US$7,421,318.

Other notable pink diamonds sold at Christie’s include The Agra Diamond, a Fancy light pink cushion-shaped diamond of 32.24cts (VS1) sold at Christie’s London in June 1990 for US$6,959,780, the second highest price for a pink diamond at auction; The Mouawad Pink, a Fancy pink cushion-cut diamond of 21.06cts (VS1 potential) sold at Christie’s Geneva in May 1989 for US$6,053,254; and The Rose of Dubai, a Fancy pink pear-shaped diamond ring of 25.02cts (IF, Type IIa) sold at Christie’s New York in October 2005 for US$6,008,000.

In 2008, Christie’s sold the most valuable jewel ever offered at auction – the historical Wittelsbach blue diamond for US$24 million. About Christie’s Christie’s, the world's leading art business, had global auction and private sales in 2008 that totalled £2.8 billion/$5.1 billion. For the first half of 2009, art sales totalled £1.2 billion/$1.8 billion. Christie’s is a name and place that speaks of extraordinary art, unparalleled service and expertise, as well as international glamour. Founded in 1766 by James Christie, Christie's conducted the greatest auctions of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, and today remains a popular showcase for the unique and the beautiful. Christie’s offers over 450 sales annually in over 80 categories, including all areas of fine and decorative arts, jewellery, photographs, collectibles, wine, and more. Prices range from $200 to over $80 million. Christie’s has 53 offices in 30 countries and 10 salerooms around the world including London, New York, Paris, Geneva, Milan, Amsterdam, Dubai and Hong Kong. More recently, Christie’s has led the market with expanded initiatives in emerging and new markets such as Russia, China, India and the Middle East, with successful sales and exhibitions in Beijing, Mumbai and Dubai.