Rare pink diamond and ruby worth estimated $65 million on show at Sotheby’s Dubai

The Eternal Pink and The Estrela de Fura, the world’s largest ruby, are both expected to break records

The Eternal Pink diamond is expected to break records at Sotheby's Magnificent Jewels auction in New York on June 8. Photo: Pawan Singh / The National

Two unique, precious gem stones are currently being exhibited at Sotheby’s Dubai before they go under the hammer as part of the auction house’s Magnificent Jewels auction in New York next month.

The Eternal Pink, a 10.57-carat diamond among the most vivid pink diamonds to come to market, and the Estrela de Fura, a 55.22-carat ruby that is the largest to appear at auction, will be on display at Sotheby’s in DIFC until May 26.

Estimated to be worth more than $35 million, the Eternal Pink is a polished cushion-cut Internally Flawless Fancy Vivid Purplish Pink Diamond, the highest possible grading for a coloured diamond taking into account the colour, carat, clarity and cut of the stone.

“Diamonds have such an exceptionally long history,” Sophie Stevens, head of jewellery at Sotheby’s Dubai, tells The National.

“They've been referenced throughout ancient texts for millennia, they've always been revered as stones of power, of might, of strength. It's something tangible that the Earth produces that's also so beautiful. They've endured for centuries and carry a romance about them.”

The CTF Pink Star – a 59.60-carat oval mixed-cut Fancy Vivid Pink, Internally Flawless diamond – was sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in April 2017 for a record price of $71.2 million.

The Eternal Pink could break the price-per-carat record for any diamond or gemstone sold at auction. The current record is held by The Williamson Pink Star, a 11.15-carat Fancy Vivid Pink Internally Flawless diamond, which sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in October last year.

The Estrela de Fura, which translates from Portuguese to mean Star of Fura, is expected to fetch more than $30 million. It was mined in Montepeuz, Mozambique in July 2022 by Dubai-based Fura Gems, originally weighing 101 carats – the largest gem-quality ruby ever discovered by the mining company.

When it was first discovered, even in its unpolished and rough state, the ruby was considered an exceptional find for its outstanding clarity and rich red hue.

Stevens said that the Estrela de Fura was specifically carved by a master cutter in Thailand under much supervision to ensure the tailoring of the stone would display its full colour and transparency.

“The wonderful thing about the Estrela de Fura is its significant size,” Stevens says.

“We've never seen anything like this before in terms of gem quality rubies of 55 carats but it's so clean as well and the colours are exceptional. So the cutting was really heavily monitored and supervised to bring out those kind of qualities.”

With the combination of its size, rich colour and the untouched-by-heat treatment of The Estrela de Fura, the ruby could break the record for the most expensive ruby sold at auction.

The current record is held by the Sunrise Ruby, a 25.59 carat Burmese stone, auctioned at Sotheby’s Geneva for $30.3 million in May 2015.

“We invite people to come and see these exceptional gems at Sotheby’s Dubai this week where they will be on view until Friday,” Stevens said.

“And we encourage people to do so because quite simply, you won’t see anything like them ever again.”

The two jewellery pieces are part of Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels auction and will be on show at Sotheby’s Dubai at DIFC until May 26.