Bulgari Pink Sells for $14.8m at Christie's Geneva

(IDEX Online) - A 24-carat pink diamond ring by Bulgari sold for $14.8 million (CHF12,086,000) at Christie's Geneva auction, above its low estimate of $12 million (CHF10 million) but well below the high of $18 million (CHF15 million).

The emerald-cut Fancy Intense Pink Type IIa stone, known as The Bulgari Pink, was the highlight of the November 10 Magnificent Jewels sale.

The Bulgari Pink was acquired in India in the 1950s by the consignor's great-grandparents before being taken to Rome and set by Bulgari. It remained in the same European noble family for more than seven decades and had never previously appeared at auction.

Christie's said its transparency and purity were characteristic of some of the world's most celebrated historic stones, including those associated with the legendary Golconda region.

In its pre-sale analysis, the Fancy Color Research Foundation (FCRF) gave the stone a total visual score of 6 out of 12 (inner grade 1, color dispersion 2, undertone 3).

"Its period cutting style and proportions reflect the craftsmanship of an earlier era, resulting in broadly distributed colorless areas across the face-up view," it said.

"The strong orange fluorescence could indicate a Golconda mine origin. The inner-grade is clearly at the transition point between Fancy and Intense, which may create some disappointment among buyers seeking a strong impact from the color."

In November 2023, Christie's Hong Kong sold the 15.48-carat Fancy Intense Pink Type IIa Pink Supreme for $10.81 million. The 10.20-carat Fancy Intense Pink Eden Rose achieved $13.29 million at Christie's in June 2024, while the 10.38-carat Fancy Purple-Pink Marie-Therese Pink sold for $13.98 million in June 2025.

The auction record for a pink diamond remains the 59.60-carat CTF Pink Star, a Fancy Vivid Pink diamond that sold for $71.2 million at Sotheby's Hong Kong in April 2017.