Famous Gems and Beaded Jewelry - The Pink Star
The Pink Star (formerly known as the Steinmetz Pink Diamond) is the largest, and arguably the most beautiful, pink diamond in the world. Found in one of the famed De Beers mines in Africa in 1999, the rough stone weighed an extraordinary 132.5 carats.
Pink diamonds are rare and pink diamonds of this size, quality, and breathtaking color are extremely rare; cutting this stone took over twenty cautious and painstaking months. It was "cast in epoxy more than 50 times in order to create models upon which the design team could experiment with different cuts" according to the Sotheby's catalog. That must have been a nerve-racking job, but the results are absolutely stunning! It now weighs 59.6 karats and is rated as a fancy, vivid pink - an apt description for this beauty. The diamond, which is set on a ring, measures an amazing 1.06 by 0.81 inches and is the largest vivid pink diamond ever known - more than twice as large as the next biggest in its class!
The Pink Star made its public debut during the Monaco Grand Prix on May 29, 2003, followed by its display at The Smithsonian's "The Splendor of Diamonds" exhibit in the summer of 2003. The lovely actress Jenna Elfman wore this diamond at the opening of the exhibit. In doing so, she joined an elite company; in the past, pink diamonds were worn only by royals and other aristocrats!
The Pink Star changed hands in a private sale in 2007 and Sotheby's featured it in an auction in Geneva in November of 2013. The sale price of just over 83 million dollars set a record for the highest price for any gemstone ever sold! Sotheby's played the theme tune from the "Pink Panther" movies in celebration. Of all the famous gems and beaded jewelry that have sold, the Pink Star is truly unique! The previous record of $46.2 million was set three years previously for another pink diamond, the Graff Pink, which is only half the size of the Pink Star.
Unfortunately, the record sale fell through, so Sotheby's acquired the Pink Star at the "bargain" price of $72 million. If your budget is a bit more modest, contact us and we'll be happy to design a beautiful piece of pink jewelry just for you!
