Fancy Intense 12 ct Pink on the Block for $8-10 Million

(IDEX Online News) – The largest round fancy intense pink diamond to ever appear at auction is arriving to Christie's next month. Christie's estimates the 12.04-carat, offered by a private collector, at $8-$10 million.

The rare fancy intense pink diamond will be offered at the Hong Kong Magnificent Jewels on 29 May.

The current owner purchased the diamond from Harry Winston in 1976, the same year, the United States launched its first satellite on a mission to Mars. The Viking Landers were the pioneering spacecrafts to first land on the planet, carrying with them the American flag across millions of miles of interplanetary space. For Ronald Winston, the color of the 12.04-carat pink diamond was so intense that he named it ‘Martian Pink’ to celebrate the historic event.

While most natural pink diamonds exhibit a color modifier like purple, orange or grey, this one shows no trace of a secondary color, according to Christie's.

Offered alongside this pink diamond is an 11.85-carat D / VVS1 round brilliant-cut diamond. The white diamond carries an estimate of $1.7-$2.5 million.