Displaying items by tag: david bennett

David Bennett has been named to the newly-created position of worldwide chairman of international jewelry at Sotheby’s, the auction house announced on March 5.

In the Geneva-based role, Bennett will design and implement a strategy for the continued expansion and development of Sotheby’s global jewelry business, which the auction says is one of its fastest growing categories, achieving $600 million in sales in 2014.

The ‘Pink Star,’ a 59.60-carat oval cut fancy vivid pink diamond, was sold during Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels sale in Geneva for a record $83 million on November 13. The gem, which is the largest internally flawless diamond that has ever been graded by the Gemological Institute of America, carried an estimate of $60 million. Sotheby’s said that the buyer was Isaac Wolf, a New York-based diamond cutter who is planning to rename the gem “The Pink Dream.”

When the stone first arrived at Sotheby’s, David Bennett, the Chairman of the auction house’s Jewelry Division in Europe and the Middle East, said, “I have had the privilege of examining some of the greatest gemstones in the world over the past 35 years, and I can say, without hesitation, that ‘The Pink Star’ is of immense importance.” The gem’s vibrant hue combined with its extraordinary size makes it the most exceptional pink diamond known to exist in State, Royal and private collections. The Pink Star belongs to a rare subgroup called “Type IIa,” which includes less than two percent of all gems.  

The diamond was cut from a rough stone weighing 132.5 carats, which was mined in Africa in 1999 by De Beers. It was later cut, polished and transformed into its current form by Steinmetz Diamonds. The Pink Star has been exhibited at the Smithsonian Institution as well as the Natural History Museum in London.

On November 13, 2013 Sotheby’s Geneva will auction a 59.60-carat oval cut fancy vivid pink diamond at its Magnificent Jewels sale. Known as “The Pink Star” the gem is the largest internally flawless diamond that has ever been graded by the Gemological Institute of America. The diamond is expected to garner over $60 million.

David Bennett, Chairman of Sotheby’s Jewelry Division in Europe and the Middle East, said, “I have had the privilege of examining some of the greatest gemstones in the world over the past 35 years, and I can say, without hesitation, that ‘The Pink Star’ is of immense importance.” The gem’s vibrant hue combined with its extraordinary size makes it the most exceptional pink diamond known to exist in State, Royal and private collections. The Pink Star belongs to a rare subgroup called “Type IIa,” which includes less than two percent of all gems.

The diamond was cut from a rough stone weighing 132.5 carats, which was mined in Africa in 1999 by De Beers. It was later cut, polished and transformed into its current form by Steinmetz Diamonds. The Pink Star has been exhibited at the Smithsonian Institution as well as the Natural History Museum in London.