Giant Pink Diamond Headlining Phillips Geneva Auction

The chance to acquire a top-tier colored diamond is an elusive opportunity for any collector, because colored diamonds are exceedingly rare. And "fancy color" diamonds—diamonds that exhibit color beyond the pale hues that comprise the "white" range—are even more so. 

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) estimates that only one out of every 10,000 carats of cut-and-polished diamonds display fancy color. And if the colored diamond in question is large, magnificently saturated, and masterfully cut to reveal breathtaking fire and brilliance? Well, here’s a recap of 2023’s headline-making diamond auctions for an idea of what a stone like that might cost. Is your head spinning yet?

The next glamazon colored diamond to hit the auction circuit is headlining a Phillips Geneva sale set to take place on May 13. The show-stopping pink diamond ring (shown above) weighs an impressive 6.21 carats and boasts VS1 clarity, which is the fourth rung on the eight-rung diamond clarity scale, which starts at “flawless” and ends at I3 (very included). The delicious pink hue is giving Barbie vibes; a lot of pink diamonds are paler, icier—so the rich pigment of this “Barbie” bauble renders it exceptional.

According to Phillips, such strong saturation of color places this pink diamond in the coveted “fancy vivid” category—this classification is considered the pinnacle of colored-diamond grading. The stone’s flawless polish and symmetry further elevate its allure. More good stuff: it’s also a Type IIA diamond, which are considered chemically pure diamonds. And that adds to its rarity; only 1-2% of earth-grown diamonds are Type IIa. 

The pink gem is expected to fetch between $10.5 and $15 million. Now is your head spinning?

Not thinking pink these days? There are two other exceptional colored stones joining the party: One is a miraculous 280.84 carat Colombian emerald that is also one of the largest gem-quality emeralds to appear at auction.

Phillips Amazon Queen emerald

The Amazon Queen Colombian emerald, which is estimated to sell for $1.5 to $2.6 million

The other is much smaller but no less striking: a ravishing fancy red diamond weighing 1.56 carats, sourced from the now-closed Argyle mine in Australia.

Phillips fancy red diamond

The Argyle Phoenix fancy red diamond, which is estimated to sell for $1 to $1.5 million

Top photo: The star of "Phillips’ Geneva Jewels Auction: TWO" is this oval-cut fancy vivid pink diamond set in a ring. Highlights will be unveiled at preview in select international cities before returning to Geneva for the grand