Christie’s has concluded their Magnificent Jewels auction in Hong Kong, and despite weak sales they have still emerged with several fancy color diamonds that exceeded expectations. The highlight of the auction was the 4.29 carat Fancy Vivid Blue IF marquise shaped diamond that was offered by famous London jeweler Moussaieff, and it did not disappoint with its results. Another blue diamond, along with a yellow diamond and a pink diamond exceeded their price estimates as well, which was a positive indication of the state of demand for fancy color diamonds.

The Blue Diamond to Rule Them All?

Vivid Blue Diamond Ring, IF 4.29 carat
Image: Christie’s

The 4.29 carat Fancy Vivid Blue IF diamond ring by Moussaieff sold for $11.8 million, or $2.755 million per carat. While this is not the most expensive blue diamond ever sold, it is certainly a high price for such a diamond, although it can be justified by the fact that its color is a magnificent blue and that its clarity is a near perfect Internally Flawless.

Its price earned it two new record titles, the most expensive Fancy Vivid Blue diamond of 3-5 carats ever sold, and the most expensive price per carat for a Fancy Vivid Blue diamond of 3-5 carats. The Blue Moon of Josephine remains The most expensive blue diamond ever sold.

The diamond which sold last year at auction in Geneva for $48.5 million, and the most expensive blue diamond of 2016 was the Sky Blue diamond which sold two weeks ago in Geneva for $17 million.

Vivid Yellow Diamond Price is a Pleasant Surprise

A surprise for the evening was the final price for the 28.78 carat Fancy Vivid Yellow VVS1 emerald cut diamond.

Yellow diamond rings have a steady demand, but as a general rule their auction prices do not often exceed the auction house’s high estimates simply because they are not as rare as other colors.

Nevertheless, it sold for $2,028,708 or $70.5k per carat, a 35% premium over its $1.1 million to $1.5 million estimate. This confirms that yellow diamond value remains strong in the current market.

Fancy Blue in Demand

A diamond’s color and its intensity has a strong impact on its pricing – especially in colored diamonds.

However, the beauty of auctions is that demand is purely what drives the price of any particular item. In this case a fancy blue diamond performed very nicely!

A 5.19 carat Fancy Blue Diamond IF pear shaped diamond and it sold for $1,717,795 or $331k per carat. Considering that its estimation was between $900k to $1.15 million, its premium was 49%.

Fancy Intense Pink Diamond Record Set

By now, it’s no doubt that pink diamonds are always in fashion!

A 2.13 carat Fancy Intense Pink I1 diamond was auctioned together with a 2.21 carat G Color VS2 diamond as an interesting double-diamond ring. The two diamonds are of modest sizes and the auction house estimated the ring to sell at a price between $125k to $190k. It sold for $551,871 or $259k per carat, value that can be entirely attributed to the pink diamond there. Not only did the ring sell for a 190% premium over the high estimate, it set a record that evening. The previous most expensive Fancy Intense Pink 2-3 carat diamond was sold for $178k per carat, so the $259k price per carat is a 45% premium over the last record.

Pink and blue diamonds never cease to draw in big name bidders at the important diamond auctions. Time and again, the bar is set higher and higher as the demand for the best diamonds in the world grows larger. It remains to be seen how far these bidders will be willing to go in the years to come!

What do you think? Can these price trends continue to rise? Does it symbolize a recovery for the industry?

The post Diamond Prices Exceeding Expectations at Auction in Hong Kong appeared first on Naturally Colored.

Cartier Sky Blue Diamond Ring
By Sotheby’s

Sotheby’s has officially announced their lineup of beautiful diamonds and diamond jewelry, and as expected, has included some impressive fancy color diamonds on the list. The standouts are the headliner, the Sky Blue Diamond, and two pink diamonds. Generally speaking, the auction houses reserve the most spectacular gems of the year for the Geneva auctions because these auctions have long ago acquired a reputation for monumental pieces making big headlines in the news for record breaking prices.

About Sky Blue Diamond Ring

The most exciting piece of the night is the Sky Blue Diamond, an 8.01 carat Fancy Vivid Blue Type IIb square shaped emerald cut diamond ring by Cartier.

The auction house estimates that the diamond will sell for $25 million, following in the footsteps of blue diamonds of previous years. Just last year, the Blue Moon of Josephine diamond broke all known diamond records when it sold for $28.5 million, the current highest price ever paid for a blue diamond, and the hypothetical price for the Sky Blue diamond to beat. In the words of the Sotheby’s chairman of their international jewelry division David Bennet, the Sky Blue diamond is ‘a celestial blue’ and is a very flattering cut.

Notable Pinks to Follow

17.07ct Fancy Intense Pink Diamond, VVS1

The next noteworthy diamond is the 17.07 carat Fancy Intense Pink VVS1 emerald cut diamond. It is estimated to sell at a price between $12 million and $15 million. Given its large size and excellent pink color, it comes as no surprise that the diamond is expected to fetch such a high price. It is a matter of course that large pink diamonds demand some of the highest prices on the market. Even though the color intensity is Intense and not Vivid, the diamond is still delightful and will perform well.

13.20ct Internally Flawless Fancy Intense Pink Diamond

The final fancy color diamond highlight of the evening is the 13.20 carat Fancy Intense Pink IF pear shaped diamond. Not only does this diamond exhibit beautiful color and shape, its competitive advantage is in its clarity relative to its size. It is very rare to find such a large diamond with such good clarity, and the Internally Flawless clarity grade will be what pushes this diamond to its $14 million estimated price. Clarity is not usually such an important factor in the valuation of fancy color diamonds, unless it is an extremely good clarity as it is in this case. Therefore, there is tremendous importance behind the IF clarity of this diamond.

It is always a pleasure to see beautiful pink and blue diamonds at auction, and the ones that Sotheby’s has chosen for November 16 are truly magnificent. It remains to be seen whether diamond buyers will behave as in previous years, willing to lay down large sums of money to acquire their desired gems, or if Geneva will witness a different type of auction result this year. What do you think?

More information regarding the sale and the Sky Blue Diamond can be found at Sotheby’s

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World Class Blue Diamond by World of Diamonds

World of Diamonds, a Russian conglomerate and one of the largest privately held diamond mining companies in the world, has just unveiled an incredible blue diamond of their own which they hope will join the ranks of these enticing blue diamonds in its own way. Their 2.08 fancy vivid blue cushion shaped diamond is set in a platinum setting and plated in rose gold, and is named ”The Jane Seymour” Diamond after the famous Bond girl.

Jane Seymour Diamond

Not only is the diamond so special because of its beauty, it celebrates the illustrious career and philanthropic efforts of Jane Seymour, an accomplished actress, producer, painter, businesswoman, philanthropist and Officer of the Order of the British Empire (although it is unclear whether the funds from the ring will go toward philanthropy or to WOD). However, the real excitement of the ring is what WOD has planned for the ultimate buyer and their plus one, a Bond-like experience for two.

Priceless Blue Diamond Ring with a $2 Million Price Tag

According to World of Diamonds Group director Karan Tilani, the company had never intended to sell the ring at all. At some point along the way, they seemingly decided to not only sell the ring but create a magical experience around it as well. Since the ring was made in celebration of Seymour’s debut in ‘The Vortex’ a play meant to fundraise for Syrian refugees that was produced by the British Theatre Playhouse of Singapore, and was worn by her at a private dinner in Singapore earlier this year, WOD is only willing to sell the ring, if a true fancy color diamond connoisseur comes forward.

Along with the ring, the buyer and a guest will be treated to an evening straight from a James Bond film. The night begins with a 45 minute helicopter ride over Singapore, followed by a ride in a chauffeur-driven Rolls Royce to a private cruise. They will then be driven to Ce La Vie, an iconic Singaporean venue on the rooftop of Marina Bay Sands Hotel for an 18 course modern Asian dinner. They are to be surrounded by 10,000 freshly cut roses and eat from diamond encrusted chopsticks while enjoying some of the best wines and champagnes in the world. The evening is meant to finish with the ring and a bottle of cognac accompanied by a fireworks display. All in all, the program is quite elaborate and exciting, and no doubt brings much positive attention to the 2.08 carat blue diamond, at whose $1 million per carat evaluation brings its total value to $2 million. For $2 million, this is a very thrilling evening indeed.

What do you think? Is the pomp and circumstance needed to sell a blue diamond like ‘The Jane Seymour’ in today’s market conditions, or can a blue diamond sell itself purely based on color?

The post ”The Jane Seymour” – A Blue Diamond to Remember appeared first on Naturally Colored.

Cullinan Dream Diamond

Dream Come True from the Cullinan Mine

Blue diamonds come from Australia (Argyle), India & South Africa (and occasionally Borneo, Brazil, Central Africa). But since the transfer of the Cullinan Mine to Petra’s hands back in 2007 – its been making serious headlines.

The Cullinan Dream diamond along with other diamonds, have been polished from the 122.52 carat rough blue diamond unearthed by Petra Diamonds, at their Cullinan Mine, in south Africa, in late 2014.

it was sold for $27.6 million and retained a 15% ownership of any increase in value. 3 other magnificent Diamonds were polished; 11.3 carat, pear shape, a 10.3 carat, radiant, and a 7.0 cushion.

122.52 carat Blue Diamond Discovered by Petra Diamonds
Image: Petra Diamonds

Value Expectations that are Beyond Imagination

Christie’s has unveiled its valuation stating that the Cullinan Dream is worth between $23-$29 million or $951k to $1.2 million per carat. Considering that the diamond is graded as a 24.18-carat intense blue diamond with VS2 clarity there is not much to compare it to. Some would consider it low, others would consider it a record breaker after all.

The previous largest Fancy Intense Blue diamond at auction is a 13.39 carat Fancy Intense Blue diamond and a VS clarity grade. It was sold back on May 14, 2008 for a total of $8.785 million or $656k per carat.

It is quite clear that we will have 1 record at least and that is the largest Fancy Intense Blue diamond offered at auction. In terms of the selling price, well, that is really up to the market.

We have seen many natural blue diamonds sell at auction like the Blue Moon of Josephine and the Oppenheimer Blue Diamond, and we have also seen blue diamonds fail to sell at auction, like the recent Shirley Temple Blue Diamond.

The Blue Moon Diamond
Image: Sotheby’s

“Dreamy” Provenance

What is well known about this diamond is the fact that it came from the famous Cullinan mine, similar to theory famous blue diamonds like the recent 10.10 carat Millennium Jewel 4, which sold in Hong Kong and The Oppenheimer Blue diamond. In fact, majority of recent blue discoveries came from this mine.

Conclusion

We are just a few days away from the offering of the Aurora Green Diamond in Hong Kong, and just a few short weeks before our Cullinan Dream Diamond that will be sold. All that is left is wait and see what the numbers will be…

The post Cullinan Dream Diamond – a Blue Diamond Beyond Imagination appeared first on Naturally Colored.

The Oppenheimer Blue Diamond

Christie’s “Oppenheimer Blue” diamond
Image credit: Christie’s

the 14.68 carat, Fancy Vivid Blue diamond sold for a record price of $58,246,847 eclipsing the Blue Moon of Josephine by almost $10 million. how far will the market go, and pay for unique items. it is rumored that the diamond was acquired back by leading industry participants, further demonstrating that even our own team mates, strongly believe that prices are far from peaking, and there is more room for appreciation. The oppenheimer Blue diamond was sold by Christie’s

The Unique Pink Diamond

The Unique Pink
Image: Sotheby’s

A night before, The 15.38 carat Unique Pink Diamond, sold for a total price of $31,561,200, breaking the record that the Pink Josephine, the Largest Fancy Vivid Pink ever to sell at auction from last year by more than $3 Million Dollars, and setting its own records. The diamond was acquired by a private buyer according to David Bennett, head of Sotheby’s Jewellery. This demonstrates that not only industry participants strongly believe in Fancy Color Diamonds, but also private individual have confidence as well, and that is positive news overall. The Unique Pink was sold by Sotheby’s.

Its low estimate is $1.5 million per carat, making it almost certain that the 6.64 carat diamond will set the new world record price per carat for a Fancy Intense Blue diamond. Also, if the diamond sells for its low estimate of $10 million, it will become the most expensive Fancy Intense Blue diamond to ever be sold at auction. The current holder of that title is a 13.39 carat Fancy Intense Blue diamond that was sold back on May 14, 2008 for a total of $8.79 million, or $656k per carat.

Will the Oppenheimer Blue become the most expensive diamond to ever sell at auction? Can blue diamond prices continue to rise, or have they peaked with the sale of the Blue Moon of Josephine? Tell us your opinion in the comments!

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The new headliner is a 10.10 carat Fancy Vivid Blue oval shaped diamond named the “DeBeers Millennium Jewel 4”

The De-Beers Millennium Jewel 4

The De Beers Millennium Jewels collection

The diamond earned its name and is famous for being part of the De Beers Millennium Jewels collection, a collection of 12 diamonds that were put on display in London in their Millennium Dome on the eve of the year 2000 to celebrate the turn of the millennium.

The collection of diamonds, all mined by De Beers, consists of 1 colorless diamond and 11 blue diamonds. Since blue diamonds are extremely rare, this makes the collection absolutely spectacular. The star of the collection and one of the most famous diamonds in the world is aptly named the Millennium Star, and is a 203.04 carat D color pear shaped diamond.

The collection was saved from the world’s biggest potential diamond heist when the London police intercepted a gang that was planning on stealing them from the Dome. The diamonds are currently owned by a private Asian collector but one of them, the De Beers Millennium Jewel 11, was sold in 2010.

The De Beers Millennium Jewel 4, which is the next one from the collection that will be auctioned, is currently being valued between $30 million – $35 million by Sotheby’s. This is very unusual, and only characteristic of blue diamonds, which have seen a huge spike in demand thanks to the Blue Moon of Josephine. It is even exceptional for this auction, as it is valued at about 8 times the amount of the next lot on the auction!

In order to break the world record for most expensive diamond set in November 2015 by the 12.03 carat Fancy Vivid Blue diamond, the Blue Moon of Josephine, the De Beers Millennium Jewel 4 would have to sell for over $48.5 million. If it were to break the Blue Moon’s per carat record price, it would need to sell for over $40.7 million total. Only time will tell the result!

A Dazzling Yellow Collection

While blue diamonds often take the spotlight for being the most expensive diamonds, with all the respect (and there is a lot of respect…), whether for color or affordability – for every one buyer of a blue diamond there are about hundred looking to buy a yellow diamond.

Add the fact that yellow diamond engagement rings are among the most sought after colored diamond engagement rings and because and that the yellow diamonds have been very popular in the Asian market – Sotheby’s had put together an amazing collection. Here are my top picks for most intriguing pieces:

1. My first focus is on a diamond that was actually already offered at auction once before. I was sold in Geneva at auction in November 2014 for $1.375 million. The 10.30 carat Fancy Vivid Yellow VS1 emerald cut diamond is currently being estimated to sell at a price between $1.3 million to $2.05 million, or $125k to $200k per carat. Its high valuation is due to the deep yellow color of the diamond and probably also because of the brand, since it was originally a Graff diamond.

   
   2016 Setting
   
   2014 Setting
2. The next yellow diamond is a beautiful 7.03 Fancy Vivid Yellow IF Emerald cut diamond. It is being offered at a very reasonable price of $848k -$925k total, or $121k to $132k per carat, nowhere near the world record per carat for Fancy Vivid Yellow diamonds of over $250k per carat.
3. 

   A pair of yellow diamond earrings. Fancy color diamond earrings are always exceptional because it is exceedingly difficult to find two color diamonds that are similar enough to be considered a pair since every color diamond is so unique.

   This particular set of earrings is composed of Fancy Intense Yellow diamonds, one 13.35 carat and one a 12.03 carat diamond, and both VVS2 clarity. They are valued at $835k to $899k total, although it remains to be seen how much the final buyer will be willing to pay for them.

An Exotic and Colorful Finish

Thought there are 272 lots in the auction and most are truly magnificent – I cannot cover all… But I could not bear the thought of not showing these next three items:

1. A 1.80 carat deep blue diamond ring estimated at $1 Million (give or take a few thousands)
2. A huge 4.90 carat pure intense green diamond estimated at $2.7-$3.6 Million
3. A 4.08 carat pure vivid orange like we have not seen since the sale of “The Orange”

We are certainly looking forward to finding out how these diamonds will do at auction in April. Will the record set by the Blue Moon of Josephine in November be broken by the De Beers Millennium Jewel 4? Will yellow diamonds continue to earn fair prices at auction? We can’t wait to find out!

* Images courtesy of Sotheby’s. For full information about this amazing auction visit here

The post Will Sotheby’s Keep Up its 2015 Momentum in 2016? appeared first on Naturally Colored.

The Shirley Temple Blue Diamond
9.54 carat Fancy Deep Blue VVS2 (Image: Sotheby’s)

After starring in numerous movies, her father bought her a 9.54 carat Fancy Deep Blue Diamond with VVS2 clarity set in an art deco setting in 1940 for her 12th birthday and in honor of the premiere of her movie “The Blue Bird”. He paid $7,210 for the ring at the time, which in today’s terms would be about $122,000 – making it one of the best diamond investments ever.

Jewelry from famous celebrities always garners extra attention and value aside from the value factor of the piece of jewelry itself. Be it jewelry from a famous fashionista like Elizabeth Taylor, or from a beloved rock star like Elvis, these pieces always earn extraordinary prices at auction. Coupled with the fact that the ring in question features a natural blue diamond, this ring will definitely earn a spectacular price under the hammer.

The Auctioning of Shirley Temple’s Blue Diamond Ring

The ring is being offered by Sotheby’s NY on April 19th as the headlining piece of the auction house’s Magnificent Jewels sale.

They have chosen very interesting timing, having just announced the sale of the blue De Beers Millennium – a huge vivid oval blue diamond that will be sold at their auction house in Hong Kong in April as well.

All of this comes at the heels of the highest prices ever paid for blue diamonds. The records began breaking in November 2014 when the 9.75 carat Fancy Vivid Blue ‘Zoe’ diamond sold at auction for $32.6 million, making it the highest price for a blue diamond ever at auction.

This past November, that record was shattered by the 12.03 carat Fancy Vivid Blue ‘Blue Moon of Josephine’ diamond, which at $48.5 million became the highest price per carat ever paid for a blue diamond at auction, the highest price ever paid for a blue diamond at auction, and the most expensive diamond ever sold at auction.

Shirley Temple VS De Beers

Obviously, Sotheby’s has hopes to continue this trend not only with its “De Beers Millennium Jewel 4’ blue diamond in Hong Kong in April but also with the Shirley Temple Blue.

The De Beers Millennium Jewel 4, a 10.10 carat Fancy Vivid Blue oval shaped diamond, has been estimated to sell for $30 million – $35 million, and the Shirley Temple Blue is estimated to sell for $25 million – $35 million.

The fact that Temple’s father picked out the blue diamond in 1940, and how much he paid for it, just goes to show how ahead of his time he truly was. Later in life, Shirley Temple commissioned Tiffany’s to reset the ring in yellow gold. However, although it has been reset in its original setting, the truth does still remain how much the diamond has appreciated in value in the last 76 years, and that coupled with the celebrity value factor shows the extent of the possibility of a long term buy and hold strategy of investing in blue colored diamonds.

Now that blue diamonds have been climbing in popularity for the last decade, it is plain to see that this ring, and also the De Beers Millennium Jewel 4, will earn amazing prices under the hammer that will total many times their original value.

We can’t wait until April to see how these blue diamonds do at auction, who will buy them, and whether either of them beats the records of the Blue Moon and the Zoe! What do you think will happen? Can blue diamonds break records again? Once again – we’ll have to wait and see…

Shirley Temple picture credit – Gushi Soda

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