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Summit at Harvard University on sustainable jewelry

Published on June 8, 2023

Jewelery and the environment, society, sustainability. By now, even the world of luxury is paying attention to the issues of equity and solidarity. An Answer is the first collaboration between The Responsible Jewelery Council (RJC), The Mineralogical and Geological Museum of Harvard University (MGMH), and the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). The collaboration is reflected in an event scheduled for June 23 at Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Three leaders come together to explore the challenges, opportunities and future of responsible practice at the State of the Art Jewelry Summit.

Metamorphosis, spilla by Wallace Chan. Courtesy of the artist — Metamorphosis brooch by Wallace Chan. Courtesy of the artist

Climate change and its implications on the supply chain, the business of technology and evolving consumer expectations: this unique day of panel discussions and presentations from global experts, academics and artists will share valuable insights into the value and desire they fuel the responsible jewels. Human rights, risk and conflict are also present and the day will conclude with representatives of the Young Diamantaires project discussing the future of the sector through the eyes of those who will inherit it.

Expertise al laboratorio Gia di Bangkog — GIA Laboratory Bangkok, Field Expedition

Three women will host the summit: Melanie Grant, RJC Executive Director, Susan Jacques, President and CEO Gia, and Raquel Alonso-Perez Ph.D, Curatrix, MGMH at Harvard University. The line-up of speakers includes artist-jeweler and inventor Wallace Chan, Lucara Diamond president and CEO Eira Thomas, Harvard environmental science and engineering professor Dan Schrag, who will deliver the keynote address.

Miniera di Chivor, in Colombia — Chivor mine, Colombia

RJC will launch its first Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) toolkit at the summit, which will be available free of charge to all attendees. It is a project for applying concepts such as environment, social and governance to jewelry companies globally. The summit will bring together all sectors of the gem and jewelery industry to shape a collective approach and understanding of responsible jewellery. There will be a chance to network, brainstorm, listen and learn from current and future leaders at one of the world’s premier centers of learning, Harvard University.

Analisi al laboratorio Gia di Bangkok — Analysis at the Gia laboratory in Bangkok

I am thrilled that MGMH at Harvard University is hosting its first Responsible Jewelry Summit in partnership with RJC and Gia. Our mission is to unite art, science and industry so that we can face the future together. Growth must be more than economic.
Raquel Alonso-Perez, curator, Mineralogical and Geological Museum, Harvard University

Collana di by Charlotte Ehinger-Schwarz, 1876. Courtesy of the Tanzanite Foundation — Necklace by Charlotte Ehinger-Schwarz, 1876. Courtesy of the Tanzanite Foundation

The roots of Lucy G.

Published on November 5, 2022

Showroom

Orecchini in oro bianco 9 carati, diamanti e rubini

Matera is one of the most beautiful Italian cities. But for centuries it was also one of the poorest and most forgotten in the South. Matera has also hosted the Loglisci family jewelry store for over a century (since 1899). And today Giuliana Loglisci, a young descendant of the founder of that jewelry, takes her creativity around the world. The young designer has even founded two brands: Lucy G and Pop Colors by Lucy G. The first is an accessible but quality jewelry brand, the second focuses entirely on colored gems. They are modern, lively, fast jewels.

Anello in oro bianco 9 carati con diamanti e rubini

The style is very far from the ancient atmosphere of her native land. Also because the designer has an 18-karat history: she moved to London for two years, where she studied at the Gemological Institute of America (Gia). In 2014 she then moved to Bangkok to complete her gemological training. A skill that has resulted in a job as a gemologist in a company. Before returning to Italy she decided to open her own brand Lucy G. Jewelry based in Thailand. Moving to Milan, Giuliana Loglisci has forged ahead: today she has 14 authorized dealers in Italy and Europe. The collections are colorful, with natural gems, diamonds and enamels mounted on 9 and 18 carat gold. Pop Colors by Lucy G is, however, another story and we will talk about it in another article.

Anello in oro giallo 18 carati con tormalina paraiba, smeraldi e diamanti

Orecchini in oro rosa con diamanti, zaffiri e smalto

Anello in oro rosa 9 carati con zaffiri e smalto

The Lauren Craft precious adventures

Published on January 10, 2022

Showroom/Rings

Anello in oro rosa 18 carati con diamanti taglio baguette

The incursions between the different souls of the world by Lauren Croft, who for her jewelry draws inspiration from her travels ♦
Unusual combinations, exotic stones, gold and black rhodium-plated silver for Lauren Craft, Gia’s graduate jeweler, with a past as a fashion editor. The designer has also worked for Alexis Bittar, one of the most popular brands in the industry in the US. In five years the pieces of the Texan designer who moved to New York, have become famous because among the favorites of celebrities such as Charlize Theron, Jennifer Anniston, Miranda Lambert, Sheryl Crow, Rose Byrne, and Nicole Richie.

Travel and the sea between Sardinia (Italy) and the Caribbean as the main source of inspiration, but in his latest collection there is much of the tradition of classic jewelry. 18 or 14 karat gold, pink and white, pavé or generously sized diamonds, particularly elaborate rings from a design point of view, but at the same time with clean, modern and soft lines: Lauren Croft’s jewels can be worn indifferently for unconventional occasions or together with a formal dress: you choose.

Anello in oro rosa 14 carati e diamanti baguette

Orecchini in oro bianco e pavé di diamanti

Collana in oro bianco 14 carati, diamanti e smeraldi

Orecchini in oro rosa 18 carati e pavé di diamanti

Orecchini in oro bianco 18 carati e diamanti baguette

Anello in oro bianco rodiato nero e diamanti

50 shades of gray diamond

Published on June 9, 2021

Campus/Diamanti

Moussaieff, anello con diamante grigio taglio smeraldo di 11 carati

What you need to know about the gray diamonds and the colorful shades they may have ♦

White diamonds are a classic. Colored ones are in fashion. But gray diamonds are in trend. There is only one problem: gray diamonds are rare, very rare. But they are considered very chic, also because they are perfect to combine with other colors: gray is a shade that manages to coexist with all the others, as well as alone. A gray diamond, in fact, is suitable to be combined with any dress and can be worn at any time of day.

Collana di Monique Péan con diamanti grigi chiari

Features. Gray diamonds are extracted in India, Russia, South Africa and Australia. The gray color comes from a high concentration of hydrogen or boron. But not only: gray diamonds often have different shades, due to a slight influence by other mineral elements.

De Beers, anello con diamante grigio taglio marquise

Colors. According to the Gia (Gemological Institute of America), there are many types of gray diamonds, even with extra coloring. There are Gray Purple, Gray-Blue, Gray-Green and so on. In addition, gray diamonds are also cataloged for color intensity: Light Gray, Fancy Light Gray, Fancy Gray, Fancy Dark Gray and Fancy Deep Gray. The most common shades according to Gia are yellow, green, blue and purple. The human eye, on the other hand, can distinguish about 500 shades of gray.

Diamante grigio tendente all'azzurro — Diamante grigio tendente all’azzurro

The cost. The price of diamonds is determined by the color, but also by the clarity and of course the size. In general, gray diamonds cost a little less than bright-colored ones, such as yellow or pink. And they cost less, on average, than colorless ones. Federico Graglia

Anello Amulet, oro rosa, diamante grigio — Rachel Boston, anello Amulet, oro rosa, diamante grigio

Anello con la figura dell'occhio in oro rosa e diamanti neri e grigi — Bee Goddess, anello con la figura dell’occhio in oro rosa e diamanti neri e grigi

Anello con diamanti grigi e opale — Suciyan, anello con diamanti grigi e opale

Anello Neraviglia, linea Gioia. Zaffiri neri e diamanti grigi — Al Coro, anello Neraviglia, linea Gioia. Zaffiri neri e diamanti grigi

Anello della collezione Just Rebel Star, in oro nero e diamanti neri e grigi

Spilla con diamante grigio-azzurro venduta da Christie’s

Anello con diamante grigio taglio marquise

Maurizio Pintaldi, anello con diamanti grigi e neri

How important is the clarity of a diamond?

Published on May 15, 2021

Campus/Diamanti

How important is clarity in the evaluation of a diamond? Here’s how to find out what is the degree of clarity ♦ ︎

We make clarity on the diamonds. And it is not a expression: clarity is one of the famous four C that define the quality of a diamond together with the weight (carat), the color and cut. In short, it is an aspect to pay close attention when buying a stone or a jewel with a diamond. Clarity could compromise the value of the stone, even if the other three parameters mentioned are excellent. Fortunately, when you buy a diamond jewel you can also ask for a certificate listing the classification of the stone.
Here, then, what to look for to know what is the degree of clarity of your diamond and what the abbreviations that appear on the certificate mean.

The scale of clarity

The clarity of a diamond is about its degree of transparency. If the stone has no impurities inside it will get the highest mark. If within the stone appear small or large inclusions, ie impurities imprisoned in the mineral, will have a lower grade. The scale starts from Flawless (FL), the stone without defects, and goes up to Included 3 (I3) ie with serious impurities inside. This scale of value is the one adopted by the authoritative Gia, Gemological Institute of America, the best known mineralogy research and learning center in the United States of America, founded in 1931 by Robert Shipley in California.

Il diamante taglio smeraldo, da 163,41 carati, D flawless e di tipo IIA di de Grisogono

How important is clarity?

Is very important. First of all because better clarity translates into perfect reflections of light and, therefore, into a brighter diamond. In addition, impurities, if very accentuated, could over time compromise the structure of the diamond itself. Given this, we must add that a diamond completely free of inclusions is very, very rare. Usually imperfections are not visible to the naked eye, but you have to enlarge the stone at least ten times (the standard used by jewelers) to see inclusions.

Laurence Graff con il più grande diamante taglio brillante (102 carati) internally flawless

What do the degrees of clarity mean?

Inclusions can hardly be identified with the naked eye, except in very large stones with pronounced defects. At this point the choice is a matter of taste: a stone with low clarity, that is with inclusions, can have a considerably lower price than a super-transparent diamond: in short, you can choose a slightly larger stone for the same price as a small, but with maximum clarity. Hardly anyone will notice it, except at the time of a sale. A good compromise could be to choose a middle ground, that is a diamond with Vs1 or Vs2 classification. If, on the other hand, you really want to go on the safe side and aim to buy a diamond jewel also as a form of investment (long term), focus on a stone classified by FL to VVS1. Experts advise against, however, diamonds with SI3 purity as they are probably stones equivalent to grade I1 or I2, in which the inclusions are too obvious: they are low quality diamonds.

Anello in oro con diamanti con inclusioni

Flawless and Internally Flawless

In the description of a diamond you might come across the Flawless and Internally Flawless definitions. What do they mean? Flawless means that the diamond is without visible inclusions or imperfections with a magnification of ten times, Internally Flawless only that no inclusion is visible.

collana Art Deco con ciondolo composto da un diamante eccezionale (colore D, Internally Flawless) di 16,24 carati, all'asta da Christie's — Collana Art Deco con ciondolo composto da un diamante eccezionale (colore D, Internally Flawless) di 16,24 carati, all’asta da Christie’s

What about inclusions?

They are elements of different kinds. They can be tiny crystals, needles, imperfections with the shape of feathers, clouds, points, teeth). Just one of these almost invisible inclusions is enough to let the diamond descend into the clarity scale. In general, for example, a diamond classified as VVS1 has at least one point inclusion, if it is VVS2 or at least two. Of course, not all inclusions have the same effect on the diamond. Transparent inclusions are preferable to white inclusions, which in turn are less harmful than dark inclusions. The worst are the dark and central inclusions in the SI1 grades. One of the most common inclusions is described as a cloud. In reality small clouds composed of different points generally have no effect on the appearance of the diamond. The so-called feathers, however, is a micro-crack that touches, but does not compromise the surface of the diamond. A small crack has no impact, while a larger one can be dangerous over the long term, to the point of compromising the solidity of the stone. These are the most common defects, but in reality there are many others, such as graininess.

How to choose?

A gemological certificate is the first aspect to consider. Also, consider if the diamond jewelry could be sold sooner or later, or stay with the family. Finally, the most important aspect: look carefully at the diamond. Look at it from a distance of 30-40 centimeters, holding it with tweezers or, if mounted on a ring, grasp the circle. Focus and observe it well against the light, towards a light source. What do you see? The choice is up to you.

Diamante taglio a cuore di 15,87 carati, colore D, senza inclusioni

Anello di platino con diamante da 9,13 carati. Colore D, privo di inclusioni

orecchini — Orecchini con diamanti a taglio circolare colore D, privi di inclusioni, di 22,60 e 22,31 carati, venduti per 8,565 milioni dollari

Anello con diamante rosa taglio a pera Fancy Intense da 13,20 carati, Internally Flawless. Stima: 9-14 milioni di dollari — Anello con diamante rosa taglio a pera Fancy Intense da 13,20 carati, Internally Flawless

Diamante da 100.20 carati, D color, Internally Flawless, type IIa. Stima: 18 - 23 milioni di euro, venduto a 20, 6 milioni di euro — Diamante da 100.20 carati, D color, Internally Flawless, type IIa. Stima: 18 – 23 milioni di euro, venduto a 20, 6 milioni di euro

Kent Raible, American style

Published on November 1, 2020

Showroom/Rings

Orecchini con zaffiro rosa , tormalina, tanzanite, zaffiro blu

The goldsmith works by Kent Raible at Gia, among American Gothic and Baroque styles.

Some time ago one of his works was exhibited at Gia, the Gemological Institute of America. Opera is the right word, because those of Kent Raible are not just jewelry, but small mazes of gold among an American neo gothic, like the one portrayed in the famous painting by Grant Wood, and a nineteenth-century Baroque, more a little bit empire style. In short, virtuosity and eclecticism hand in hand. It’s a style that, maybe, don’t is loved by those who love the simple lines of modern jewelry, forms of Nordic design, seasoned lines from base geometries.

Raible is quite the opposite: inlays, volumes are several, engraved metal, rings that enclose another ring. All it mounted in yellow gold with a vaguely Indian flavor. What is considered one of the goldsmith masters made in the USA began his career in 1973. Largely self-taught, Kent has also gone abroad for two years, in Germany, to refine the techniques. Her jewels are also exhibited in museums such as the Smithsonian. Rudy Serra

Anello cocktail con granato verde, diamanti, oro 18 carati

Pendente a forma di conchiglia in oro con zaffiro blu

Collana con pendente in oro pietra luna, diamanti, crisocolla

Collana con pendente in oro, rubini e granati

Orecchini in oro 18 carati con zaffiro blu e diamanti

Anello Flower in oro 18 carati, zaffiro, diamanti

Anello cocktail con diamanti cognac, pietra sole, oro 18 carati

Anello in oro e rubini realizzato per un progetto dell'American Jewelry Design Council — Anello in oro e rubini realizzato per un progetto dell’American Jewelry Design Council

Alarm fake diamonds

Published on March 16, 2020

news/Diamanti

Beware of fraud: the number of synthetic diamonds that are fraudulently proposed as natural is increasing ♦

Diamonds alarm. Experts report a surge in synthetic diamonds passed off as real. Time ago, a good number of these fake diamonds have been identified by the Gemological Institute of America in India. Gia, in fact, discovered an unusually large number of undeclared synthetic diamonds, which were mixed with natural diamonds.

To be precise, 101 synthetic diamonds were identified in a pack of 323 stones from the Mumbai laboratory of Gia. All small: 0.014 to 0.015 carats. The problem is that the analysis service has been offered since last years: how many fake stones have been certified as authentic before? It is not, in fact, the first time that a fraud falls on the network: the first major discovery of undeclared synthetic stones occurred in May 2012, when several hundred CVD diamonds were sent to the Gemological Institute (IGI) of Antwerp and Mumbai, with the aim of being certified as natural diamonds.

Even these fake diamonds were created with the technique called CVD (it is not the only system): it is an acronym that indicates the technique that allows you to manufacture diamonds with the deposition of chemical vapor. Basically, a mixture of hydrogen and methane is subjected to very high temperatures (about 900 degrees). At that point the molecules split and transformed into carbon elements are deposited on a tiny element of silicon, tungsten, molybdenum, silicon carbide, silicon nitride or quartz glass. The crystals that are formed have the same texture and appearance as those of a natural diamond. The process is expensive, but for small diamonds it is extremely convenient. Except for those who believe in buying a natural diamond.

That discovered in India was not the only case of fraud: in accordin to BBC, on the Alibaba e-commerce site, for example, advertisements were discovered that offered synthetic diamonds as natural.

This type of fraud worries large mining companies. The answer could be the use of blockchain, a technology that guarantees the authenticity of any transaction and allows us to trace the origin of any object or sale that is registered on this platform. Everledger in Australia and De Beers’ Tracr are examples of the use of blockchain technology. Russian diamond mining giant Alrosa also announced last fall that it will join the Tracr platform. Problem solved? Unfortunately not: not all diamonds mounted on the jewelry on sale come from these big manufacturers. Federico Graglia

The Frankenstein diamond

Published on May 24, 2019

news

Discovered in the USA a Frankenstein diamond, half natural and half artificial ♦ ︎

Like in horror movies or, if you prefer, science fiction, a hybrid is also advancing in jewelry. No, it’s not a zombie or a robot designer. This is what we could call the Frankenstein diamond. It is not a stone with a voice and heart, but a hybrid of a natural and artificial gem.

Il diamante composito naturale-artificiale

To discover it they were the experts of the Gemological Institute of America. In fact, Gia has identified a natural diamond that, however, has been coated with an artificial layer in the laboratory. Objective: to add weight and improve the color of the diamond. This means that soon on the market you will find not only the diamonds declaredly grown in the laboratory, but also the composite ones. How to classify them? Natural or artificial? There are no rules to protect the consumer, but also jewelers who could be misled.

The diamond discovered by Gia, for example, has the classic defects of natural diamonds, which guarantee its origin, but also traces of boron and nitrogen, which are rarely seen together in natural diamonds. The cushion-cut diamond, bluish-greenish-gray, weighs 0.64 carats. The image of the crown revealed a typical color of diamonds grown using the chemical vapor deposition process, one of the methods to create artificial diamonds. And a side view shows a distinct layer between the natural substrate and the added portion. In short, it was not easy to identify the mestizo stone. How many other Frankenstein diamonds are there in circulation? Federico Graglia

Pendente con diamante sviluppato in laboratorio Lightbox

Courbet, alta gioielleria, anello con diamanti fancy yellow sviluppati in laboratorio. Il prezzo è di 29.000 euro

Ispirati alle forme poetiche scultoree di orchidee e magnolie, gli orecchini sono realizzati a mano in oro bianco 18 carati Fairtrade, con 349 diamanti da laboratorio per 15,39 carati — Ispirati alle forme poetiche scultoree di orchidee e magnolie, gli orecchini sono realizzati a mano in oro bianco 18 carati Fairtrade, con
349 diamanti da laboratorio per 15,39 carati

Anello ispirato alle fioriture eterne e alle farfalle danzanti del poetico Giardino Inglese. Lavorato a mano in oro bianco 18k Fairtrade, con 184 diamanti da laboratorio Diamond Foundry, per 6,84 carati

New scale for artificial diamonds

Published on March 21, 2019

news/Diamanti

Artificial diamonds classified as natural stones: the authoritative Hrd Antwerp has decided ♦ ︎

Hrd Antwerp has become today leading authority on diamond certification. In addition to Antwerp, this institution also has laboratories in Mumbai and Istanbul, which use the most sophisticated technology and rely on the vast experience of internal research department. Now Hrd Antwerp has decided to take a step that will make experts discuss: it has started to evaluate laboratory-produced diamonds using the same method as natural ones. In short, synthetic diamonds will be classified according to the criteria common to natural stones to establish color and clarity.

It is not a trivial initiative: it means taking another step towards equating synthetic diamonds with natural ones.

For the color, previously the synthetic diamonds were classified only in five degrees. A synthetic diamond was therefore classified as colorless, near colorless, faint, very light and light. Now, instead, we move on to the 13 categories used for natural diamonds, ranging from D (the most colorless) to M, plus NO, PR and SZ. The same goes for clarity: it goes from five degrees to the ten that are applied to natural diamonds.
The choice of the Belgian institute constitutes a new stage in the diatribe that concerns how to classify laboratory-born diamonds. Gemological Institute of America, Gia, for example, has so far continued to use a limited rating scale, which does not consider the 4C canonics, since the mix of the chemical composition of natural stone is slightly different. But it also studies a change in the near future. Will follow in the footsteps of Hrd Antwerp? Federico Graglia

Anello di fidanzamento Venus in oro giallo e diamante sintetico taglio brillante

Anello Tyche in oro bianco e diamante sintetico taglio smeraldo — Anello Tyche in oro bianco e diamante sintetico taglio brillante

Solitaire con diamante sintetico. Costa 252 dollari

Diamanti all'ingrosso — Diamanti all’ingrosso

The gems seen closely by Paolo Costagli

Published on November 11, 2018

Showroom

Anello in oro bianco, diamanti e spessartite

Stones with vivid colors, but also simple gold jewelery: the design of Paolo Costagli, from Florence to New York.

Florence, 1966: Paolo Costagli born of Venetian parents. New York, 2016:Paolo Costagli is awarded by InDesign Award for his Eternity collection. What happened in the meantime? Many things. The Italian designer has left Florence and moved to California, where he studied at the Gemological Institute of America. Not only. It decided to deepen their knowledge of the stones directly in the mines of Colombia.

Anello con tormalina menta e tanzanite su oro bianco

The memories of the Renaissance Italian art combined with the experience expert gemologist has transformed Paolo Costagli in a jeweler designer based in New York that offers unique pieces that combine the two worlds: the colors of gems, that are searched with patience and dedication, more an architecture that surrounds precious stones. Peridot, citrines, amethysts, tourmalines, garnets, as well as diamonds and rubies, are the basis of its simple compositions, but unmistakable. His shop is in Medison Avenue and the prices of its jewels are in line with what you can expect. The capsule collection Eternity, for example, is composed of a series of rings with prices ranging from 6000 to $ 49,000. But the more simple jewelry lines, only in gold, have a much lower cost. Giulia Netrese

Anello Valentina in oro bianco e topazio

Bracciale Brillante in oro rosa 18 carati

Orecchini in oro rosa 18 carati e diamanti

Anello in oro bianco con acquamarina taglio ovale e diamanti

Anello in oro bianco con spirale di diamanti neri

Anello Eternity con rubellite e tormalina. Prezzo: 20.000 dollari — Anello Eternity con rubellite e tormalina

Synthetic diamonds alarm

Published on October 29, 2018

news/Diamanti

Pietre prodotte da New Diamond Technology

Increases the number of synthetic diamonds sold as natural.

Latest news from the world of diamonds: synthetic ones are more and more similar to the natural ones. So that now even the gemological laboratories are struggling to distinguish them. There are more and more undisclosed, so who assures you that you have the solitaire on her finger is authentic? The alarm does not come from gossip or talk that you read on social networks, but directly by the Gemological Institute of America, the most reliable analytical institute of precious stones. Gia, in fact, announced time ago that he had found on the market in Hong Kong a 5-carat undisclosed diamond, synthetic, with a quality that makes it difficult to distinguish from a real diamond. Not only so far synthetic diamonds were small, but 5 carat is a record.

Gia has classified the synthetic diamond with color equivalent to J and clarity VS2, ie comparable to a stone of high quality genuine.

Anello con diamante sintetico di Diamond Foundry — Anello con diamante dichiaratamente sintetico di Diamond Foundry

No traces have been found, in addition, of black inclusions, which are often contained in the synthetic diamond. Experts of Gia argue that if the diamond was examined under a microscope would be classified as natural. It has been identified, however, only through a detailed spectroscopic examination: a fairly expensive technology, that those who buy precious stones could be considered superfluous.
This discovery casts a shadow on the market: how many synthetic diamonds undeclared are out there, they ask the experts of the GIA? India and China are the two most at-risk markets, but it is not impossible that even in Europe and the US arrive passed off as natural synthetic diamonds. The test statistics seem confirm these: the GIA has examined a stock of 3005 diamonds randomly selected. Of these three they have proven fake, i.e. synthetic. And a trader admitted that tolerance is 1-2% in the sale of synthetic diamonds undisclosed. A percentage that starts to be significant and could increase with time. Federico Graglia

diamante blu sint — Diamante blu sintetico da 10 carati

diamonique ledaotto anello — Anello con diamanti sintetici, argento, placcato rodio

Anello Alone di stelle, con diamante sintetico e oro di Anouk. Prezzo: 2.200 dollari — Anello Halo di stelle, con diamante sintetico e oro di Anouk. Prezzo: 2.200 dollari

cristalli-sintetici-di-diamante — Cristalli di diamante sintetico

From Christie’s a 50 million pink diamond

Published on September 26, 2018

news/Diamanti

An exceptional 19-carat rose diamond on sale at Christie’s in Geneva ♦ ︎

If you like the pink colour, mark this date on the calendar: November 13, 2018. On that day Christie’s Geneva will present The Pink Legacy, the largest and most refined Fancy Vivid Pink diamond ever offered at the auction by the London house. The diamond weighs almost 19 carats, has a rectangular cut and will go on sale at the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues in Geneva. The stone comes from the Oppenheimer family and is estimated at between 30 and 50 million dollars. The Pink Legacy will be exhibited on a world tour before being auctioned.

The diamond was judged to be Vivid shade, the highest level of coloration for a diamond, from the Gemological Institute of America.

Vivid colored diamonds are the gems with greater saturation. The rectangular cut is traditionally used for white stones. But also the weight that is considered exceptional: most of the pink diamonds of this color weighs less than one carat. The Pink Legacy is also very pure internally: another extremely rare aspect in pink diamonds, where the color is formed by the pressure and slippage of the crystal lattice that typically causes imperfections in the stone. Furthermore, it is classified as a type IIa diamond, with little or no nitrogen inside, as only less than 2% of the gems. IIA type stones are some of the chemically purer diamonds, often with exceptional transparency and brilliance. One of the most celebrated rose diamonds is the Williamson, found in the Williamson mine located in Tanzania in 1947. It was presented as a wedding present by Dr. John Williamson, the owner of the mine, to the Queen (then Princess) Elizabeth.
Pink diamonds are among the most coveted by collectors. So far only four Vivid pink diamonds of over ten carats have been auctioned. The maximum was reached in November 2017, when Christie’s Hong Kong sold The Pink Promise, a bright oval-shaped pink diamond of just under 15 carats for 32.5 million dollars, which established and remains the record price of world auction per carat for each pink diamond. Federico Graglia

The Pink Promise, diamante ovale fancy vivid pink diamond di 14.93 carati. Venduto per 32,163 milioni di dollari a Hong Kong

Anello con diamante rosa venduto nel 2015 da Christie's a Ginevra — Anello con diamante rosa venduto nel 2015 da Christie’s a Ginevra

The Perfect Pink, diamante rosa venduto per 23,3 milioni di dollari