The Pink Star

The most valuable diamond in the world to go under the hammer at Sothebys sale of Magnificent Jewels in Geneva this November

Called The Pink Star, the one-of-a-kind 59.60ct oval-cut pink diamond is the largest internally flawless fancy vivid pink diamond every graded by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). More than twice the size of the 24.78ct Graff Pink fancy intense pink diamond, which sold in Sotheby's Geneva in 2010 for US$46.2 million and currently holds the record for the most valuable gemstone or jewel sold at auction, it also exceeds in both size and richness of colour any pink diamond found in state, royal or private collections.

Remarkable in every way, The Pink Star is internally flawless and a beautifully saturated shade of pink known as Fancy Vivid - the highest possible colour grade for a pink diamond. It also falls into the rare Type IIa subgroup of diamonds, renowned for their flawless purity and exceptional optical transparency, which make up only 2% of all diamonds.

Unearthed by De Beers as a 132.5ct rough in 1999 in Africa, the stone was originally sold in 2007 under a different name, the Steinmetz Pink. Now renamed The Pink Star, this extraordinarily rare gemstone will be showcased on a worldwide tour of Sotheby's auction houses, including Hong Kong, New York, London, Zurich and Geneva.