The “Williamson Pink Star” diamond, one of the world’s purest, could fetch more than $21 million when it goes under the hammer in Hong Kong in October, auction house Sotheby’s said on Wednesday.
At 11.15 carats, the cushion-shaped gem is called “Williamson Pink Star”, in tribute to two other pink diamonds.
One is the “CTF Pink Star”, a 59.60-carat oval mixed-cut diamond that sold for a record $71.2 million at auction in 2017.
The other is the “Williamson” stone — a 23.60-carat diamond given to Britain’s Queen Elizabeth as a wedding gift by Canadian geologist John Thorburn Williamson. Worn by the monarch in a Cartier brooch, it was discovered in his mine in Tanzania.
The “Williamson Pink Star” diamond is exceptionally rare, with only a handful of similar stones known to exist. It is also the largest pink diamond ever discovered, weighing in at over 10 carats. This makes it a truly unique gem and explains why it is expected to sell for such a high price.
Top-quality colored stones are highly prized by the super-wealthy and Spofforth said he expects many bids for the gem when it is offered for sale in a standalone auction on Oct 5.
“We saw over the lockdown crisis and the COVID crisis that there is always demand for the rare and the beautiful in the world, and this is something exceptionally rare that I think will have plenty of bidders on the day,” he said.
Ahead of the auction, the “Williamson Pink Star” will go on tour to Dubai, Singapore, and Taipei before arriving in Hong Kong.