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And I intend to bid! not Please note the bit in bold that I find absolutely amazing!
From The Daily Mail Newspaper:
£24million pink panther: Rare diamond set to fetch record price
Like the Pink Panther, the fabled diamond in the Inspector Clouseau films, this gem bedazzles all who see it. But if you want to own the exceptionally rare pink stone, you'll need deep pockets - it is expected to go for a world record breaking £24million when it is auctioned next month.
Hailed as one of the greatest diamonds ever discovered and weighing almost 25 carats, it was formerly owned by the late Harry Winston, the U.S. jeweller to the stars. For the past 60 years it has been in a private collection. The pre-sale estimate is $ 27million to $38million dollars (£17million to £24million), dwarfing the record of £16.3million which was paid two years ago for a diamond that once belonged to Spanish royalty. Despite the prohibitive price tag, there have been several inquiries already from those eager to add it to their collections.
Explaining the interest, David Bennett, chairman of the international jewellery department at Sotheby's, which is selling the ring, said: 'I cannot exaggerate just how rare this stone is. 'This sale is one of the most exciting of my 35-year career. 'It is one of the most desirable diamonds ever to come to auction and its beauty has haunted me since the very first time I set eyes on it some years ago.' It is classified as 'fancy intense pink' - the most perfect pink colour - by the Gemological Institute of America, and is set between shield-shaped diamond shoulders on a silver ring.
The intense colour, which is incredibly rare, is thought to be caused by an unusual distortion created when the diamond was formed deep inside the earth over millions of years, which makes it absorb light in a certain way. Categorised as potentially flawless because it needs re-polishing, this puts it among less than 2 per cent of the world's diamonds. Mr Bennett added: 'There is something so exuberant, joyful and intensely feminine about a pink diamond that makes them absolutely irresistible.'
The auction in Geneva, Switzerland, on November 16 is likely to be a high society event, drawing comparisons with the sale of Wallis Simpson's estate in 1987, in the same city, which attracted European royalty and film stars. Harry Winston's shop has been the first stop for Hollywood starlets renting jewels for the Oscars since he started out in the 1920s. In Marilyn Monroe's 1953 film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, while singing Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend, she stops to deliver the line: 'Talk to me Harry Winston, tell me all about it.' The current record holder for the world's most expensive diamond i s the inch- wide 35 carat Wittelsbach diamond, owned by a 17th century Spanish king which sold at Christie's for £16.3million in December 2008.
From The Daily Mail Newspaper:
£24million pink panther: Rare diamond set to fetch record price
Like the Pink Panther, the fabled diamond in the Inspector Clouseau films, this gem bedazzles all who see it. But if you want to own the exceptionally rare pink stone, you'll need deep pockets - it is expected to go for a world record breaking £24million when it is auctioned next month.
Hailed as one of the greatest diamonds ever discovered and weighing almost 25 carats, it was formerly owned by the late Harry Winston, the U.S. jeweller to the stars. For the past 60 years it has been in a private collection. The pre-sale estimate is $ 27million to $38million dollars (£17million to £24million), dwarfing the record of £16.3million which was paid two years ago for a diamond that once belonged to Spanish royalty. Despite the prohibitive price tag, there have been several inquiries already from those eager to add it to their collections.
Explaining the interest, David Bennett, chairman of the international jewellery department at Sotheby's, which is selling the ring, said: 'I cannot exaggerate just how rare this stone is. 'This sale is one of the most exciting of my 35-year career. 'It is one of the most desirable diamonds ever to come to auction and its beauty has haunted me since the very first time I set eyes on it some years ago.' It is classified as 'fancy intense pink' - the most perfect pink colour - by the Gemological Institute of America, and is set between shield-shaped diamond shoulders on a silver ring.
The intense colour, which is incredibly rare, is thought to be caused by an unusual distortion created when the diamond was formed deep inside the earth over millions of years, which makes it absorb light in a certain way. Categorised as potentially flawless because it needs re-polishing, this puts it among less than 2 per cent of the world's diamonds. Mr Bennett added: 'There is something so exuberant, joyful and intensely feminine about a pink diamond that makes them absolutely irresistible.'
The auction in Geneva, Switzerland, on November 16 is likely to be a high society event, drawing comparisons with the sale of Wallis Simpson's estate in 1987, in the same city, which attracted European royalty and film stars. Harry Winston's shop has been the first stop for Hollywood starlets renting jewels for the Oscars since he started out in the 1920s. In Marilyn Monroe's 1953 film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, while singing Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend, she stops to deliver the line: 'Talk to me Harry Winston, tell me all about it.' The current record holder for the world's most expensive diamond i s the inch- wide 35 carat Wittelsbach diamond, owned by a 17th century Spanish king which sold at Christie's for £16.3million in December 2008.