sotheby’s to offer the greatest white diamond ever to appear at auction

7/30/2019 Sotheby’S To Offer The Greatest White Diamond Ever To Appear At Auction

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For Immediate Releaseress Release Hong KongHong Kong | Carmen Ting / Rhonda Yung | +852 2822 8140 / 8143 |[email protected]/ [email protected]

New York | Darrell Rocha |[email protected]| London | Leyla Daybelge |[email protected] Geneva | Marie-Beatrice Morin |[email protected]

Sotheby’s to Offer the Greatest White DiamonEver to Appear at Auction

THE 118.28 CARAT, D COLOUR, FLAWLESS, TYPE IIA,MAGNIFICENT OVAL DIAMOND

IS ESTIMATED TO ACHIEVE– US$28/35 MILLION / HK$220/280 MILLION –

Highlighting the Hong Kong Sale of Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite on 7 October 2013

NEW YORK PHOTO CALL:WEDNESDAY, 4 SEPTEMBER AT 10AM

ALONGSIDE THE PREMIER BLUE DIAMOND



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HONG KONG, 4 September 2013 – Continuing in its pioneering tradition of offering the world’s most pe

white diamonds of truly exceptional size, Sotheby’s is honoured to announce that it will offer aMagnificent Oval

Diamond of Supreme Importance in its Hong Kong auction of Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite on 7 October 201

The remarkable 118.28 carat, D colour, Flawless, Type IIa stone of Excellent Polish and Excellent Symm

largest D colour Flawless diamond ever to appear at auction, as well as the largest oval shaped, D colour F

Internally Flawless diamond ever graded by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). Only four ot

diamonds of this quality over 100 carats have ever been sold at auction, of

which Sotheby’s has sold three – the present stone is nearly 20% larger than

the first and previously largest ever offered, the 101.84 carat ‘Mouawad

Splendour’, sold at Sotheby’s in 1990*. Each of those four stones was offered

in Geneva salesrooms, making theMagnificent Oval Diamond the first D

colour diamond of this size ever to appear at auction in Asia, a testimony to the

importance of Hong Kong as an international jewellery auction centre.

Discovered in 2011 from the deep mines in Southern Africa, the 299 carat rough of theMagnificent Oval Diamond

is one of the largest and most beautiful diamond roughs found in recent years. Carefully and meticulously wo

period of months, the resulting stone is estimated to achieve US$28/35 million / HK$220/280 million** at au

October –in excess of the current highest price ever paid for any white diamond at auction***.

QUEK Chin Yeow, Chairman, Asia, Sotheby’s International Jewellery Division, said:“Following our announcement of ThePremium Blue, the world’s largest round Fancy Vivid blue diamond, Sotheby’s Hong Kong is extremely hon

offer in our upcoming Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite sale a spectacular oval diamond of supreme importance

the largest D-Flawless diamond ever to appear at auction. Apart from its stunning size of 118.28 carats, the sto

absolutely faultless and unbelievably beautiful. It therefore is a fitting offering in celebration of Sotheth

anniversary in Asia.”

David Bennett, Chairman, Europe & the Middle East, Sotheby’s International Jewellery Division, commented:“Sotheby’s

experience with diamonds of this size and quality is unparalleled. Over the course of the last 25 years, I havprivilege of selling three perfect D colour stones weighing over 100 carats, each with its own distinct perso

presence. The present oval diamond is no exception – not only is it the largest and grandest by a significant

also is the most regal and proud of this elite group.”



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* THE FOUR LARGEST D COLOUR PERECT DIAMONDS EVER SOLD AT AUCTION

The Mouawad Splendour 101.84 carats

Modified pear shape, D colour, Internally FlawlessSold for US$12.8 million

Sotheby’s Geneva, 1990

The Star of Happiness100.36 carats

Rectangular shape, D colour, Internally FlawlessSold for US$11.9 millionSotheby’s Geneva, 1993

The Star of the Season100.10 carats

Pear shape, D colour, Internally FlawlessSold for US$16.4 millionSotheby’s Geneva, 1995

The Winston Legacy 101.73 carats

Pear shape, D colour, FlawlessSold for US$26.7 millionChristie’s Geneva, 2013

*** The current auction record price for any white diamond is $26,737,913, achieved by ‘The Winston Legacyspring of 2013 at Christie’s in Geneva.

# For enquiries on preview arrangement please contact the Jewellery department: +852 2822 8112

NOTES TO THE EDITOR

I) SOTHEBY’S HONG KONG AUTUMN SALES 2013 CALENDAR (Schedule subject to change ) Auction Category

4 Oct Domaine Clarence Dillon: Château Haut Brion - Château Quintus - Château La Mission Haut BrioWines Direct from the Cellars

5 Oct A Magnificent Bordeaux CellarImportant Burgundy and Bordeaux from a Private CellarEarly Ink MastersSotheby’s Hong Kong 40th Anniversary Evening Sale (20th Century Chinese Art, Contemporary AsianArt & Modern and Contemporary Southeast Asian Paintings)



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6 Oct 20 th Century Chinese Art Day SaleContemporary Asian Art Day SaleModern and Contemporary Southeast Asian Paintings Day Sale

7 Oct Fine Chinese PaintingsMagnificent Jewels and Jadeite

8 Oct Chinese Art Through The Eye Of Sakamoto Gorō

Qing Imperial Porcelain – A Kyoto CollectionThe Cunliffe Musk-Mallow Palace BowlImportant Ming Porcelain From A Private CollectionFine Chinese Ceramics & Works of ArtImportant Watches Including Magnificent Clocks From An Important Private Collection – Part II

HONG KONG EXHIBITION AND AUCTION VENUEHall 3, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (New Wing), 1 Expo Drive, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

II) SOTHEBY’S HONG KONG UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS AND SELLING EXHIBITIONS IN SEP– NOV

( Schedule subject to change )Date Event Venue12 – 24 Sep From Warhol, With Love – A Selling Exhibition Sotheby’s Hong Kong Gallery3 – 7 Oct Awakening Spring: Exhibition Of Significant Works By Wu

GuanzhongHall 3, Hong Kong Convention andExhibition Centre (New Wing)

10 – 20 Oct Sotheby’s Hong Kong Gallery25 Oct – 2Nov

The Eternal Spring – A Selling Exhibition of Contemporary Ceramics by Caroline Cheng

Sotheby’s Hong Kong Gallery

FOR MORE NEWS FROM SOTHEBY’SVisit:www.sothebys.com/en/inside/services/press/news/news.html Follow:www.twitter.com/sothebys Join:www.facebook.com/sothebys&www.weibo.com/sothebyshongkong Watch:www.youtube.com/sothebys

Sotheby’s has been uniting collectors with world-class works of art since 1744. Sotheby’s became the first inauction house when it expanded from London to New York (1955), the first to conduct sales in Hong Kong (1France (2001), and the first international fine art auction house in China (2012). Today, Sotheby’s presents au

eight different salesrooms, including New York, London, Hong Kong and Paris, and Sotheby’s BidNow progvisitors to view all auctions live online and place bids in real-time from anywhere in the world. Sotheby’s offthe resources of Sotheby’s Financial Services, the world’s only full-service art financing company, as well asopportunities in more than 70 categories, including S|2, the gallery arm of Sotheby’s Contemporary Art deparwell as Sotheby’s Diamonds and Sotheby’s Wine. Sotheby’s has a global network of 90 offices in 40 countrthe oldest company listed on the New York Stock Exchange (BID).

**Estimates do not include buyer’s premium and prices achieved include the hammer price plus buyer’s premium.



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Images are available upon request

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sotheby’s to offer the greatest white diamond ever to appear at auction

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