A Study in Vivid Blue and Pink
‘The Oppenheimer Blue’ diamond, a 14.62 carat ‘vivid blue’, sold this month at the Geneva auctions by Christie’s. Described as one of the rarest gems in the world, it brought a ‘hammer down’ sales price of a cool US $ 57.5 million that set new records for a blue diamond at auction.
The sale came just in time for this fall’s colour or the Season – Pantone’s leading colour pick for fall, Riverside (17-0428) and a softer blue, Airy Blue (14-4122). Riverside is expected to dominate fashion and style later this year, and was presented on the Runways at New York’s Fall Fashion Week. It promises to also show up, as usual, in other product areas as well.
Lyman-Morse 65’ cruising yacht
At the same time, at the Geneva auctions, “A Unique Pink” diamond at 15.38 carats, was also sold by Sotheby’s.
his gen was discovered in Africa only about five years ago. It is the largest pear-shaped diamond ever at auction, and is exceptionally rare for its sought-after ‘Vivid Pink’ colour. Two bidders fought over it, but the prize went to an Asian buyer for a new world record and the highest price ever paid for a fancy vivid pink diamond; USD $ 31.56 Million /Swiss Francs 43.2 Million.
Via Pagnani Zonda S-Ferrari Roadster
Pantone’s coordinating colour is Rose Quartz (#13-1520) in the same warm and lustrous pink tone. Here, I have paired it with a beautiful gown by one of my new favourite designers. Elie Saab and some other suggestions you may want to consider to richly surround yourself with this hue.
Why exceptional vivid-coloured diamonds are so ‘Luxe’!
Exceptional beauty and scarcity make these colored diamonds spectacular additions to any serious collection. Colored diamonds each boast a unique shade and set of characteristics, and no two are alike, but they do have a stunning appearance and a remarkable rarity in common.
Natural Blue Diamonds, are among the rarest. In fact, if we’ll divide the rarity scale of colored diamonds into four groups, blue diamonds will be at the tip of the second rarest – rarer than pinks. Again, the stronger the color, the more rare the diamond, in a wide range of hues of Fancy, Intense and Deep Blue. These are also some of the most fascinating stones in existence. There’s a scientific cause for appearance of all colors in diamonds, and that is the presence of an impurity. For blue diamonds it is the existence of Boron.
Some science exists here: these stones are the hardest conductors of both heat and electricity on Earth, and only natural blue diamonds have this capability. The Cullinan Mine near Pretoria in South Africa is the primary source for ‘blues’, although they are also mined in India. There are reports that there is a diminishing supply and increasing demand, driving prices up to 17% per year since 2005. Even fancy light blue diamonds are being sold for jaw-dropping prices today.
Natural Pink Diamonds, on the other hand, are mesmeric in appearance, and highly valuable. They summon a rich sense of romance and luxury, even though there is limited information about them. The leading source for these beauties is The Argyle Diamond Mine , where the majority of these stones are found. They advise that a pink diamond can cost 20 times the price of its white equivalent. It is unclear as to how Pink diamonds get their colour, and as with other colored diamonds, pink diamonds can be graded faint to fancy vivid as this one is, and the stronger the color, the higher the price tag.
