The Glowing Rose, a 10.08-carat vivid pink diamond that was expected to sell for around $20m was pulled from Sotheby’s High Jewelry Sale in Geneva last week.
It was withdrawn prior to the sale on 12 November. A notice on the Sotheby’s website simply says: “This lot is no longer available.”
The cushion-modified brilliant VVS2 stone (pictured), set in a platinum band featuring baguette and brilliant cut white diamonds, would have been only the third vivid pink cushion-cut diamond over 10 carats to come to auction in the last 10 years.
It was cut from a 21-carat Type IIa rough stone recovered in 2023, from a mine in Angola and was due to appear at auction for the first time.
Two days earlier (10 November) another pink diamond pulled from another sale, The old-cut Golconda 6.95-carat fancy vivid purplish pink diamond was due to lead the sale was withdrawn by Phillips from its Geneva Jewels Auction: V event, in agreement with the consignor.
The Sotheby’s High Jewelry Sale generated around $37m, with 94 per cent of lots sold and 98 per cent of the sold lots exceeding their estimates.
Top lot was a 4.50-carat internally flawless oval mixed-cut fancy vivid blue diamond that achieved more than $5.9m.
Each November, Geneva takes centre stage in the world of fine jewellery, and Sotheby’s 2025 High Jewellery and Royal & Noble Jewels sales reaffirm why the city remains its beating heart. This year’s auctions bring together a breathtaking display of natural diamonds, historical heirlooms, and masterful craftsmanship that celebrate centuries of artistry and provenance.
At the forefront of the Sotheby’s High Jewellery Sale is The Glowing Rose, an extraordinary 10.08-carat Fancy Vivid Pink diamond estimated at around USD 20 million. Its rare, “pure pink” hue—free from secondary tones—places it among the most valuable gemstones in existence. Comparable to celebrated stones such as the Williamson Pink Star and Pink Legacy, this exceptional diamond embodies the geological miracle of atomic distortion, which gives natural pink diamonds their ethereal glow. Stones of this size and purity are exceedingly rare, making The Glowing Rose the undeniable star of the season.
Colour remains the hallmark of this year’s Geneva sale. A pair of Fancy Vivid Yellow diamond earrings, weighing 38.66 and 38.88 carats, are expected to achieve between CHF 2,000,000 and CHF 3,800,000. Their radiant colour intensity and impressive carat weight represent the highest standards of fancy diamond grading. Equally captivating is a 4.50-carat Fancy Vivid Blue diamond, internally flawless and estimated at CHF 4,400,000 to CHF 5,800,000. The blue hue, caused by trace boron, adds to its rarity and appeal, offering collectors the coveted trifecta of exceptional colour, clarity, and size.
Among the coloured gemstones, a 7.69-carat “Royal Blue” Kashmir sapphire set in a ring-pendant combination by Van Cleef & Arpels is a standout. Revered for their velvety “sleepy” lustre, Kashmir sapphires are among the most desirable in the world, and this piece exemplifies the pinnacle of gemological beauty. Further artistry is showcased through a pair of sapphire, tsavorite garnet, and diamond earclips by JAR—vividly imaginative and estimated at CHF 300,000 to CHF 500,000—reflecting the contemporary genius of Joel Arthur Rosenthal.
The sale also includes signature creations by Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier, Graff, and De Grisogono. Highlights include a 10.04-carat marquise-shaped D-colour diamond ring by Graff (VVS2 clarity, estimated CHF 320,000–560,000) and a De Grisogono ruby and diamond bombé ring featuring two step-cut diamonds (estimated CHF 55,000–75,000).
In tribute to a century of Art Deco design, Sotheby’s presents an array of geometric masterpieces from Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels, embodying the symmetry and elegance that shaped modern jewellery aesthetics. Two private collections will also headline the event: one dedicated exclusively to Van Cleef & Arpels, and another—Aria of Jewels: The Collection of Antje-Katrin Kühnemann—featuring exceptional Cartier and De Grisogono pieces from the late philanthropist’s private trove.
The Royal & Noble Jewels: A Journey Through History
Complementing the High Jewellery Sale, Sotheby’s Royal & Noble Jewels auction unveils some of the most historically significant diamonds and heirlooms ever offered. Among them is a diamond brooch once owned by Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, lost during his flight after Waterloo and later recovered by the Prussian Royal family. After more than two centuries in private hands, it now re-emerges for the first time at auction.
Also featured is a light pink diamond ring with royal lineage, once belonging to Empress Catherine I of Russia and later to Princess Neslishah Sultan, estimated between CHF 240,000 and CHF 400,000. A natural pearl and diamond jewel formerly owned by Cunegonde of Saxony (cousin of Louis XVI) carries an estimate of CHF 340,000 to CHF 500,000, while a diamond tiara with a wild roses motif from the Duchess of Portland (1774–1844) is expected to fetch CHF 100,000 to CHF 170,000.
Adding to the grandeur is a Cartier emerald and diamond necklace featuring an 11.78-carat Colombian emerald, commissioned in 1932, exemplifying Art Deco refinement and royal provenance.
Celebrating Provenance, Craftsmanship, and Natural Rarity
From Napoleon’s lost brooch to The Glowing Rose, Sotheby’s Geneva continues to highlight how exceptional gems transcend beauty—they embody heritage, artistry, and history. These November 2025 auctions remind the world that in fine jewellery, rarity, provenance, and craftsmanship remain the ultimate symbols of enduring value.
About DCLA The Diamond Certification Laboratory of Australia (DCLA) is the official CIBJO-accredited laboratory for Australia, recognised for its expertise in diamond grading and certification. DCLA continues to support transparency and integrity within the global diamond trade, celebrating events such as Sotheby’s Geneva that showcase the brilliance and authenticity of natural diamonds.
Sotheby’s is set to showcase one of the world’s rarest diamonds during its upcoming series of luxury auctions and exhibitions in Abu Dhabi, held from 2 to 5 December at The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort. The events form part of Abu Dhabi Collectors’ Week, which will feature masterclasses, panel discussions, and curated exhibitions highlighting fine jewellery, timepieces, collector cars, luxury real estate, and other exceptional assets.
The highlight of the auction is “The Desert Rose”, a 31.86-carat fancy vivid orangy-pink diamond, the largest of its kind ever graded. This extraordinary pear-shaped gem—first unveiled in Sotheby’s “Beyond: The World’s Rarest Diamonds” exhibition earlier this year—makes its auction debut with an estimated value of USD $5–$7 million.
The timing of the event coincides with one of Abu Dhabi’s busiest weeks, which includes the Formula 1 Grand Prix, the Milken Institute Middle East and Africa Summit 2025, Abu Dhabi Finance Week, and Bitcoin MENA. Together, these prestigious gatherings are expected to attract a global audience of collectors, investors, and cultural leaders.
Following Sotheby’s successful inaugural sale in Saudi Arabia earlier this year, the Abu Dhabi auctions further underscore the Middle East’s growing influence in the global luxury and cultural landscape. Saadiyat Island, home to institutions such as the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the forthcoming Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, and the Zayed National Museum, continues to establish itself as a world-class destination for art and high-value collectibles.
The Desert Rose diamond’s debut marks a milestone in coloured diamond history—its rarity, hue, and size exemplify the exceptional standards that define the world’s most coveted gems.
A rare 10.08-carat fancy vivid pink diamond ring, named The Glowing Rose, is set to take centre stage at Sotheby’s upcoming High Jewellery sale in Geneva on 12 November. Expected to achieve around USD 20 million, the stone represents one of the most important pink diamonds to reach the auction block in recent years.
This exceptional cushion brilliant-cut diamond crafted by luxury jeweller Boodles originates from a 21-carat rough unearthed in Angola in 2023. Its vivid, pure pink hue and balanced proportions exemplify the rarest qualities of natural fancy coloured diamonds. According to Sotheby’s, it is only the third cushion cut vivid pink diamond over 10 carats to appear at auction within the past decade.
The cushion cut, recently popularised by Taylor Swift’s engagement ring, has become increasingly sought after among collectors for its romantic and timeless appeal.
Sotheby’s has a strong record of achieving exceptional results for vivid pink diamonds. In 2022, the auction house sold the Williamson Pink Star an 11.15 carat, fancy vivid pink, internally flawless diamond for USD 57.7 million in Hong Kong. The following year, a 10.57 carat vivid purplish-pink diamond fetched USD 34.8 million in New York. Earlier this year, Sotheby’s Geneva achieved USD 21.5 million for the Mediterranean Blue, a 10.03-carat fancy vivid blue diamond.
“With the continued global demand for rare coloured diamonds, we are delighted to present The Glowing Rose,” said Jessica Wyndham, Head of High Jewellery at Sotheby’s Geneva. “Following the remarkable success of the Mediterranean Blue, this sale offers collectors another extraordinary opportunity to acquire a truly exceptional gem.”
Before its appearance in Geneva, The Glowing Rose will be showcased in Singapore and Taipei, giving collectors and connoisseurs a preview of one of the year’s most significant pink diamonds.
DCLA notes that fancy vivid pink diamonds remain among the most coveted and valuable gems in the world, combining extraordinary rarity with strong global demand from collectors and investors alike.
A fancy-pink diamond pendant is set to headline an upcoming jewelry auction at Sotheby’s in Paris, where it is expected to fetch up to EUR 550,000 ($612,797).
The cushion-cut, 4.03-carat diamond piece will feature at the October 10 Fine Jewels sale, according to the Sotheby’s website. The auction will also offer jewels from Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Giovanni Ferraris.
Additionally, the event will showcase more than 80 pieces from the collection of British singer Dame Shirley Bassey, including diamond jewelry Elton John gifted her.
Here are the rest of top 10 jewels that will be auctioned:
This Cartier Tutti Frutti bracelet designed as a band of articulated branches —embellished with carved emeralds, rubies and emerald beads drill-set with single-cut diamonds — carries a top estimate of EUR 450,000 ($501,395). A necklace from the Shirley Bassey collection composed of a row of graduated brilliant-cut diamonds, with the main ones weighing 5.50, 5.36, and 4.61 carats, could sell for up to EUR 280,000 ($311,798). Sotheby’s will offer this gold and diamond Cartier set comprising a necklace, two bracelets, a pair of ear clips, and a ring, each paved with brilliant-cut diamonds, for a high price of EUR 260,000 ($289,687). A David Morris ring bearing a rectangular step-cut, 7.15-carat diamond of F color and internally flawless clarity, flanked by tapered baguette diamonds, is expected to bring in EUR 140,000 to EUR 250,000 ($155,990 to $278,554). This sapphire and diamond bracelet by Van Cleef & Arpels forms a stylized buckle set with a row of oval sapphires framed by brilliant-cut diamonds. It has a presale range of EUR 140,000 to EUR 240,000 ($155,990 to $267,410). This ring with a pear-shaped, fancy-brownish-yellow diamond weighing 20.03 carats could achieve as much as EUR 220,000 ($245,116). A necklace composed of openwork and oval motifs, each set with an oval sapphire within a double surrounding of brilliant-cut diamonds, has an upper price of EUR 180,000 ($200,540).A 21.17-carat, fancy-light-brown-yellow, SI2-clarity diamond ring with marquise-shaped diamond shoulders is anticipated to realize up to EUR 170,000 ($189,415). This claw-set ring with a rectangular step-cut, 5.06-carat diamond flanked by triangular diamonds carries a high estimate of EUR 150,000 ($155,990).
Dubai-based manufacturer Choron has signed an agreement with Storm Mountain Diamonds to cut and polish a 108.39-carat stone from the Kao mine in Lesotho.
Storm Mountain, a joint venture between Namakwa Diamonds and the Lesotho government, recovered the type IIa diamond in March. The stone is one of the largest pink diamonds ever discovered, Storm Mountain said last week.
“Storm Mountain continues to consistently deliver extraordinary diamonds, and this diamond further cements the Kao mine as the primary producer of pink diamonds globally,” said Storm Mountain board chairman Robert Cowley. “We are thrilled to enter into this agreement with Choron, and we look forward to the next chapter of this diamond’s story.”
Storm Diamonds will retain a minority share in the stone, while Choron will manufacture and market it, Choron CEO Anshul Gandhi told Rapaport News. The company has not disclosed the other terms of the partnership.
“It is a privilege for Choron to unlock the secrets within this remarkable pink diamond, and we look forward to revealing the story of this historic diamond,” said Ghandi. “Our artisans will meticulously transform this rough diamond into an array of polished diamonds that will be remembered for generations to come.”
Fancy colour diamonds saw slower growth in the last three months, with an increase of just 0.5 per cent in the FCRF Index, which tracks prices across all colours, sizes and intensities.
That compares with a 1.3 per cent rise during the first quarter of 2023, as reported by the New York-based Fancy Colour Research Foundation, with the biggest increases among yellows.
During Q2, yellows diamonds again drove the increase, with a rise of 6.5 per cent across all categories. Pinks were up 0.2 per cent and blues rose by 0.6 per cent.
The FCRF noted that fancy colour diamonds had again out-performed white diamonds, which saw prices fall 3.5 per cent during the quarter.
Board member Eden Rachminov said: “The first six months of 2023 were intriguing. We experienced notable spikes in certain sub-categories within the yellow category, particularly in the intense and vivid grades with a high inner-grade.
“Meanwhile, the blue and pink categories remained stable. If the world economy continues to maintain its positive momentum, we can anticipate a robust price behavior after the summer.”
The FCRF tracks pricing data for fancy colour diamonds in Hong Kong, New York, Geneva and Tel Aviv.
Only one in 10,000 diamonds found are coloured, according to the Gemological Institute of America.
Average prices for fancy coloured diamonds of any size climbed by 3.9% in 2022, led by yellows and pinks, the Fancy Color Research Foundation (FCRF), a non-profit that promotes transparency and fair trade in the market, said on Wednesday.
The industry body said prices for all yellow diamonds climbed by 4.6% from the previous year, followed by a 3.9% rise in pinks and 1.8% in blues.
The improved prices reached by these diamonds, the FCRF said, contrast with the annual decline in white diamonds prices.
“2022 was a very good year for yellow fancy colour diamonds in all sizes and saturations. It seems like yellow diamonds with high visual grades and in certain shapes increased by more than what is reflected in the Index,” FCRF data supplier, Israel Papushado, said in a statement.
Source: FCRF.
“Pink fancy colour diamonds performed with no significant change in comparison to previous years; however, blue diamonds did not perform as expected, probably due to limitations in the Chinese market,” he noted.
The prices reported by the FCRF are based on its own Fancy Colour Diamond Index, which is built on tracked data for yellow, pink, and blue fancy colour diamonds’ performance in major global trading centres such as Hong Kong, New York, Geneva and Tel Aviv.
Nature bestows fancy colours on about one in every 10,000 rough diamonds of gem quality that are mined around the world.
The precious stones that can be blue, pink or green form a special asset class, relying on a consumer preference for exotic and unusual items. This also means they are less affected by other factors driving supply and demand in the main diamond market.
The Sakura ring was the star at Christie’s Hong Kong, setting a world-record auction price for a purple-pink diamond.
The cushion-cut, 15.81-carat, fancy-vivid, internally flawless stone sold within its estimate for $29.3 million, or $1.9 million per carat, at the May 23 Magnificent Jewels auction, Christie’s said Sunday. The piece, purchased by a private Asian buyer, was also the most valuable jewel sold at auction so far this year. Overall, the Hong Kong sale raked in $76.8 million, the auction house’s highest total for a jewelry auction in four years.
“We are very excited to have marked another important chapter in jewelry-auction history today, with The Sakura realizing a record-breaking price,” said Vickie Sek, chairman of Christie’s Asia Pacific jewelry department. “The strong sell-through rates and exceptional prices achieved for top-quality colored diamonds and gemstones reflect a robust market demand.”
However, even with the record pricing, the pink diamond still fell short of its $38 million high estimate.
“I would not consider this to be at the lower end of the market price, but there was room for it to go [further] if the current economic stability and situation was better,” Harsh Maheshwari, executive director of colored-diamond dealer Kunming Diamonds, told Rapaport News. “Post-Covid-19, if a similar item were to be auctioned, it would possibly touch, or break, the higher end of the estimated price.”
Meanwhile, The Sweet Heart, a heart-shaped, 4.19-carat, fancy-vivid-pink diamond ring, brought in $6.6 million, or $1.6 million per carat, within its presale valuation.
Other notable items include a necklace with a 50.05-carat, D-flawless, type IIa briolette diamond pendant, which garnered $2.7 million. That price, which comes to $53,399 per carat, was just above its low estimate. A square emerald-cut, 31.17-carat, fancy-vivid-yellow, VS2-clarity diamond ring went for $2.2 million, smashing its high estimate, as did a Cartier necklace with diamonds and five Colombian emeralds weighing a total of 16.43 carats, which achieved $2.1 million.
Overall, Christie’s sold 82% of items on offer at the auction.
A 2.17-carat fancy vivid purplish pink diamond fetched $3.5m at auction, well above its high estimate of $2.5m.
It was the most expensive of a “Perfect Palette” of three colored diamonds that raised a total of $8.4m last week at Christie’s New York April Magnificent Jewels.
The pink diamond (pictured) was a cut-cornered square modified brilliant-cut stone, natural color, SI1 clarity, set with round diamonds in a platinum and 18k yellow gold ring.
A fancy vivid blue cut-cornered rectangular modified brilliant-cut diamond of 2.13 carats, natural color, VS1 clarity, set in a platinum ring with round diamonds, sold for $2.67m (high estimate $3m).
And a fancy vivid orange cut-cornered rectangular modified brilliant-cut diamond of 2.34 carats, natural color, VS1 clarity, set in platinum and 18k yellow gold, sold for $2.19m (high estimate $2.5m).
The sale of over 200 lots – including signed pieces by Belperron, Bulgari, Cartier, Graff, Harry Winston, Hemmerle, JAR, Lacloche, Tiffany & Co., and Van Cleef & Arpels – brought in a total of $35m.
Christie’s said there were bids from 40 countries and 94 per cent of lots were sold.
