The Apollo and Artemis Diamond Earrings Photo by Tristan Fewings/Getty Images for Sotheby's
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The Most Expensive Earrings in the World
The Artemis Pink and Apollo Blue diamonds sold for over $57 million
The Artemis and Apollo Earrings Photo courtesy of Sotheby’s
You do not need to be in interested in jewelry to know that blue and pink diamonds are heating up the auction market. The astronomical prices the gems have been fetching in the last couple of years have made headlines world-wide. (See the biggest-ticket sales below.) Now you can add the Artemis and Apollo earrings to the list.
While the diamonds were promoted in a pair of earrings, they were sold as individual lots on May 16, 2017 at Sotheby’s in Geneva because each stone was that exceptional and, well, expensive.
The bidding for the 14.54-carat pear shape Apollo Blue diamond went relatively quickly between what seemed to be two or three buyers on the phone and in the room. The final price for the largest Internally Flawless Fancy Vivid Blue diamond ever to be offered at auction was $42,087,302. The gem was an epic prize for the collector. According to the GIA, the Apollo Blue is a Type IIb diamond— a group which contains less than one half of one percent of all diamonds.
The bidding for the 16-carat pear shape Artemis Pink went on a bit longer with a few more people in on the action. In the end, the Fancy Intense Pink sold for $15,338,176. According to the GIA, the Artemis Pink is a Type IIa diamond, which is the best there is.
The Artemis and Apollo diamond earrings will remain together. The buyer, who has chosen to remain anonymous, obtained both stones for a total of $57,425,478 .
The Apollo and Artemis Diamond Earrings. Photo by Tristan Fewings/Getty Images for Sotheby’s
Auction Milestones for Blue Diamonds
The Oppenheimer Blue – Fancy Vivid Blue diamond – 14.62 carats – Step-cut, VVS1 Clarity. Sold at Christie’s Geneva, May 2016 for $57,541,779- $3,935,826 per carat *WORLD AUCTION RECORD PRICE FOR A BLUE DIAMOND
The Zoé Diamond – Fancy Vivid Blue Diamond – 9.75 carats – Pear-shaped, VS1 clarity. Sold at Sotheby’s New York, November 2014 for $32,645,000- $3,348,205 per carat
The Blue Moon of Josephine – Fancy Vivid Blue diamond – 12.03 carats – Cushion-shaped, Internally Flawless, Type IIb. Sold at Sotheby’s Geneva, November 2015 for $48,468,158- $4,028,941 per carat *WORLD AUCTION RECORD PRICE PER CARAT FOR ANY DIAMOND AND ANY GEMSTONE
The Millenium Blue – The De Beers Millenium Jewel 4 – Fancy Vivid Blue diamond – 10.10 carats – Oval, Internally Flawless. Sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, April 2016 for $31,830,766 – $3,151,561 per carat
Auction Milestones for Pink Diamonds
The CTF Pink Star – Fancy Vivid Pink diamond – 59.60 carats – Oval Mixed-cut – Internally Flawless, Type IIa. Sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, April 2017 for $ 71,192,517 – $ 1,194,505 per carat *WORLD AUCTION RECORD PRICE FOR ANY DIAMOND AND ANY GEMSTONE
The Princie Diamond – Fancy Intense Pink diamond – 34.65 carats – Cushion-cut – VS2 clarity, Type IIa. Sold at Christie’s New York, April 2013 for $39,323,750 – $1,134,885 per carat
The Graff Pink – Fancy Intense Pink diamond – 24.78 carats – Round-cornered rectangular step-cut – VVS2 Clarity, Type IIa. Sold at Sotheby’s Geneva, November 2010 for $46,158,674 – $1,862,739 per carat *WORLD AUCTION RECORD PRICE FOR A FANCY INTENSE PINK DIAMOND
The Unique Pink – Fancy Vivid Pink – 15.38 carats – Pear-shaped, VVS2 Clarity, Type IIa. Sold at Sotheby’s Geneva, May 2016 for $31,561,200 – $2,052,094 per carat
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