29/04/2026
Fancy coloured diamonds have been prized since the 17th century, when Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, the celebrated French merchant and traveller, began recording notable examples in his accounts.
In 1669 he sold the famed 'Tavernier Blue', later known as the 'French Blue', to Louis XIV, and he described pink diamonds, among them the remarkable 'Grand Table', a rough stone of over 200 carats shown to him in Golconda in 1642. He is also known to have purchased two pale pink diamonds c.1668, which he illustrated in his travel book.
Such stones are rarer than their near-colourless counterparts, their colour arising from unusual conditions during formation deep within the earth. In most coloured diamonds, trace elements within the crystal structure are responsible for the hue: nitrogen produces yellow, while boron gives blue. Pink diamonds differ in this respect, their colour being attributed instead to a distortion of the crystal structure. As with all coloured diamonds, rarity and intensity of colour remain central to their appeal, and the most vivid stones are the most sought after.
This important pear-shaped diamond single-stone ring, modelled here by the beautiful Thalia Heffernan, weighs 12.48cts, within a ten-claw setting, to a plain hoop, mounted in 18K gold, ring size N½.
Lot 70 in our upcoming Fine Jewellery & Ladies Watches auction on Tuesday 12th May.
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