Rare 'Raj Pink' diamond at Sotheby's upcoming jewels sale

A rare 37.30 carats diamond will go under the hammer at Sotheby's upcoming 'Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels' sale on November 15 here.
'The Raj Pink' which is the world's largest known 'Fancy Intense Pink diamond', is estimated at USD 20 - 30 million (Rs 129.48 - 194.22 cr approx).
"The discovery of any pink diamond is exceptional, but the Raj Pink's remarkable size and intensity of colour places it in the rarefied company of the most important pink diamonds known," David Bennett, Worldwide Chairman of Sotheby's International Jewellery Division, said.
The 'Raj Pink', which gets its name from the Sanskrit word for 'king', has been characterised as an "astonishing stone" by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), which also certified the diamond.

"Its hue is a very bright and ravishing fancy intense pink color," GIA said.
"For a diamond to display strong, unmodified pink color like that observed in 'The Raj Pink' is rare, particularly at so considerable a weight," it added.

It also noted that less than 0.02 per cent of all the diamonds submitted to the GIA each year are predominantly pink.
The rough diamond which yielded 'The Raj Pink' was studied for over a year after its discovery in 2015.
It was then entrusted to a master cutter, who brought the diamond's innermost beauty to full display by crafting it into a sparkling cushion-modified brilliant cut.

The diamond, which has already being exhibited in London, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan, will now travel to New York (November 3-4), followed by a show here between November 11 and 14, before the auction at Mandarin Oriental here.