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Added on the 09/05/2016 20:02:06 - Copyright : Reuters EN
A pair of unique blue and pink diamond earrings on show at Sotheby's auction house in Geneva, reportedly the most valuable earrings ever to go under the hammer, are expected to fetch between $50 to 70 million. The diamonds were named after Apollo, the Greek god of of the Sun, and Artemis, his twin sister, the goddess of the moon. The 14.54-carat Apollo Blue, which is described by Sotheby's as the largest internally flawless vivid blue diamond ever to be offered at auction, is expected to fetch between $38 million and $50 million. The 16-carat Artemis Pink, with its "fancy, intense pink" hue, is expected to rake in 12.5-18 million dollars. If the combined price of both Apollo and Artemis reaches the max estimate of 70 million, these two precious stones will cost 50 times more money the average American makes in an entire lifetime. The earrings will be offered separately as individual lots at auction on May 16.
This dazzling and breathtaking precious stone is called the Pink Star Diamond, and it may well prove to be the world's most expensive cut diamond after it goes up for auction. The natural diamond was initially mined by diamond giant De Beers in Botswana and 1999 and weighed an astounding 132.5 carats when it first came out of the ground. However, it is not even close to the largest gem quality rough diamond. That award goes to the Cullinan Diamond, which weighed over 3100 carats when first mined in 1905. Although the Pink Star is set to be the most valuable cut diamond ever sold at auction, two other diamonds still have a higher estimated value: the De Beers Centenary Diamond, with an estimated value of $100 millions and the Hope Diamond, estimated at $350 million.
Child star Shirley Temple's rare blue diamond ring fails to find a buyer at auction on Tuesday.
A pear-shaped vivid pink diamond will go under the hammer at Sotheby's next month, where auctioneers expect it to sell for $38 million (USD). Rough Cut (No reporter narration).
A pink diamond fetches $28.55 million (USD) at an auction in Geneva realizing its high estimate. Elly Park reports.