Weight | 34.65 carats (6.930 g) |
---|---|
Color | Intense Pink |
Cut | Cushion-cut |
Country of origin | India |
Mine of origin | Golconda mines |
Estimated value | US $40 million |
The Princie Diamond is an approximately 34.65 carat cushion-cut fancy intense pink diamond [1] discovered 300 years ago in the Golconda mines. Christie's (who auctioned it on 16 April 2013, when it fetched a price of 39.3 million dollars [2] ) say that the Princie Diamond is believed to be the fourth largest pink diamond in the world, after the Daria-i-Noor (c. 175 to 195 carats), the Noor-ol-Ain (c. 60 carats) - which are both part of the Iranian Crown Jewels; both were cut, according to experts, from one single c. 242 carat pink diamond, [3] - and the Pink Star (formerly known as the Steinmetz Pink), a diamond weighing 59.60 carats.
The Gemological Institute of America characterizes the Princie Diamond as fancy intense pink, natural color, VS2 clarity, Type IIa. The Princie diamond is at this time the largest Golconda-type fancy intense pink diamond ever to be graded at the Gemological Institute of America. [1] The Princie also has the property that when exposed to ultraviolet light it displays bright orangey-red fluorescence. According to the Gemological Institute of America this kind of reaction to ultraviolet light is typical of diamonds of Indian origin. Of more than 7 million diamonds that have gone through the Gemological Institute of America's laboratory, no more than 40 exhibited this phenomenon and the Princie is the largest pink diamond that possesses it. [4] [5]
The diamond was discovered about 300 years ago in the Golconda mines. Long before it was known as the "Princie" or by any other name, it belonged to the royal family (Nizams) of Hyderabad, its first known owners. The then Nizam of Hyderabad had it auctioned in 1960 at Sotheby's. It was bought by the London branch of the jewelers Van Cleef & Arpels for 46,000 British pounds. It was then sent to their Paris store where it was named "Princie" by Pierre Arpels in honor of the fourteen-year-old son of Sita Devi, the Maharanee of Baroda, Sayajirao Gaekwad (1945–1985).
It was auctioned by Christie's in New York on 16 April 2013 [4] for what was a record-breaking price. It was expected to sell for more than 45 million dollars. [6] In the event it only fetched 39.3 million dollars which is still a record-breaking price. It sets the records for being the most valuable Golconda mine diamond ever sold at auction and for the highest price for any jewel sold at Christie's, surpassing the previous house record of 24.4 million dollars, set in December 2008 with the sale of the Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond. [2] It was purchased by an anonymous collector bidding by phone.
The Deepdene is a 104.52 carats (20.904 g) yellow diamond widely considered to be the largest irradiated diamond in the world.
A chemically pure and structurally perfect diamond is perfectly transparent with no hue, or color. However, in reality almost no gem-sized natural diamonds are absolutely perfect. The color of a diamond may be affected by chemical impurities and/or structural defects in the crystal lattice. Depending on the hue and intensity of a diamond's coloration, a diamond's color can either detract from or enhance its value. For example, most white diamonds are discounted in price when more yellow hue is detectable, while intense pink diamonds or blue diamonds can be dramatically more valuable. Of all colored diamonds, red diamonds are the rarest. The Aurora Pyramid of Hope displays a spectacular array of naturally colored diamonds, including red diamonds.
The Pink Star, formerly known as the Steinmetz Pink, is a diamond weighing 59.60 carat, rated in color as Fancy Vivid Pink by the Gemological Institute of America. The Pink Star was mined by De Beers in 1999 in South Africa, and weighed 132.5 carat in the rough. The Pink Star is the largest known diamond having been rated Vivid Pink. As a result of this exceptional rarity, the Beny Steinmetz Group called Steinmetz Diamonds took a cautious 20 months to cut the Pink. It was unveiled in Monaco on 29 May 2003 in a public ceremony.
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The Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond is a 31.06-carat (6.212 g) deep-blue diamond with internally flawless clarity originated from the Kollur Mine, India. Laurence Graff purchased the Wittelsbach Diamond in 2008 for £16.4 million. In 2010, Graff revealed he had had the diamond cut by three diamond cutters to remove flaws. The diamond was now more than 4 carats (800 mg) lighter and was renamed the Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond. There is controversy, as critics claim the recutting has so altered the diamond as to make it unrecognisable, compromising its historical integrity.
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The Winston Blue is the name given to what was the largest flawless vivid blue diamond bought by Harry Winston, Inc. on May 15, 2014, from an anonymous person for $23.8 million at Christie's Geneva Magnificent Jewels sale. The approximately $1.8003 million per carat price paid for the 13.22-carat diamond is a world record for a blue diamond. Harry Winston, Inc. had also bought a 101.73-carat colorless diamond named Winston Legacy at Christie's Geneva jewelry auction in 2013. The American luxury jeweler had then paid $26.7 million for the colorless diamond, which is a world record for the highest price paid per carat for a colorless diamond.
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The Golconda Diamonds are the Indian diamonds mined in the specific geographic area known as the Godavari delta that was previously part of the Golconda Sultanate. Golconda Fort was a seat of the Golconda Sultanate and is in the western part of modern Hyderabad. The region became an important center for diamond enhancement, lapidary and trading. The term Golconda diamond became synonymous with Golconda itself. The region has produced diamonds for nearly 2000 years and was the only known source of diamonds until the 17th century. They are graded as Type IIa, being devoid of nitrogen and large in size, with most Golconda diamonds having good clarity.
Blue diamond is a type of diamond which exhibits all of the same inherent properties of the mineral except with the additional element of blue color in the stone. They are colored blue by trace amounts of boron that contaminate the crystalline lattice structure. Blue diamonds belong to a subcategory of diamonds called fancy color diamonds, the generic name for diamonds that exhibit intense color.
Pink diamond is a type of diamond that has pink color. The source of their pink color is greatly debated in the gemological world but it is most commonly attributed to plastic deformation that these diamonds undergo during their formation.
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