The Pink Legacy diamond sells for record-breaking numbers

Harry Winston was surely in the pink this Tuesday as the American luxury brand purchased the Pink Legacy diamond from Christie’s auction house in Geneva, for a record setting US$50 million.

Within five minutes at the auction, the 18.96-carat diamond known as the Pink Legacy became the world’s record holder for price paid per carat for a pink diamond.

The dazzling diamond is truly a rare find because it is singularly unique to find a pink diamond over 10 carats. Categorised as a “Fancy Vivid”, the Pink Legacy is of the highest grade of colour intensity, being 1 in 100,000 of its kind. 

Soon to be renamed Winston Pink Legacy, the diamond is reported to be in good health and continues the trend of rising prices of pink diamonds.

Pink Star

Last April, Hong Kong became the city where the largest polished diamond the Pink Star – 59.6-carat stone – was auctioned off for a cool US$71.2 million at Sotheby’s.

 

Pink Promise

Following the Pink Star was the cut and improved Pink Promise diamond that was auctioned off at Christie’s Magnificent Jewels Hong Kong auction. The 15-carat diamond sold for US$32.5 million, at the time a record-beating price at US$2.176 million per carat. At US$2.637 million per carat, the sale of the Pink Legacy has surpassed the once-infamous Pink Promise.

The Pink Legacy is undoubtedly exceptional as it set forth a major moment in auctioneering history. The popularity of pink diamonds is coming up roses.

Text: Bailey Atkinson
Images courtesy: Christie’s

Top five watches that would make perfect gifts this season

We’re simply in love with these top five watches that would make a perfect gift this season.

 Slender Splendour

top five watches

Piaget, the ever-innovative Swiss luxury watchmaker, has marked the 60th anniversary of its invention of the truly iconic Calibre 9P movement – a historic, ultra-thin hand-wound

watch mechanism – with the launch of the Altiplano Ultimate Concept. With a thickness of just 2mm, the company claims it is the world’s thinnest mechanical hand-wound watch. Fashioned from a cobalt-derived high-tech alloy, the timepiece also boasts a 0.2mm thick crystal cover, a 1.1mm alligator leather strap and a super-slender pin buckle. www.piaget.com

Rado Active

top five watches

Taking inspiration from the very finest – Mother Nature’s endless bounty – Rado, the Swiss watchmaker that famously produced the world’s first truly scratchproof timepiece, has incorporated water, earth and leaf motifs into its recently launched True Thinline collection. With individual watches dedicated to one of the three natural elements, buyers can choose between blue-hued Water, green-liveried Leaf and russetty metallic Earth, as their slimline wrist adornment of choice. Each watch comes with a quartz movement and a high-tech ceramic/stainless steel case and bezel. www.rado.com

Rolex Roll-outs

top five watches

Rolex’s much-loved GMT Master II collection has expanded somewhat with the addition of three classically-styled chronometers to its elegant ranks. These include the first two 18-carat rose gold incarnations of this most timeless of timepieces, as well as a model rendered in Oystersteel, complete with a rotatable bezel fittingly emblazoned with the brand’s iconic 24-hour graduated red-and-blue Cerachrom design. All three boast in-house calibre 3285 movements, and are clearly set to be fine additions to the collection of any true haute horology enthusiast. www.rolex.com

Pyramid Selling

top five watches

While pyramids will always first bring to mind the long-dead pharaohs of long-lost Egyptian dynasties, nuzzling into second place, in terms of three-dimensional triangle association, is surely Hermès, the Paris-headquartered high-end, high fashion brand. Not only were these pointy promontories a recurring motif in the marque’s truly memorable Fall/Winter 2018 collection, they are now the defining element of its newly-released and elegantly eye-catching Médor Rock collection of watches, with each model boasting a distinctly pyramidesque dial-mounted gem. www.hermes.com

Sign of the Time

top five watches

Maintaining its commitment to creating truly luxurious accessories, Harry Winston, the New York-headquartered haute joaillerie house, has unveiled The Precious Signature, the dual offering of a programmable automatic signature writing system (an automaton) and desk clock, all finely crafted in 18-carat white gold and zirconium alloy. For its part, the automaton can churn out pretty convincing takes on the signature of marque-founder Harry Winston or be reprogrammed to sign its owner’s name. Best to keep your cheque book in a different drawer maybe. www.harrywinston.com

One thing’s certain though – with these top five watches, you can woo anyone with a perfect gift!

Hottest new ladies watches for discerning collectors to keep an eye on

The indomitable rise of high-end female collectors has breathed new life into a previously stagnant segment of the haute horology world. It’s driven watch manufacturers to question existing design practices and give up a solely male-dominated focus. Best of all, it has given lady enthusiasts a continuous crop of beautiful yet complex chronograms to choose from. Here are three of the hottest new ladies watches that caught our eye.

Piaget's Extreme Lady timepieces are among the hottest new ladies watches

Piaget Extremely Lady

Piaget’s Extremely Lady collection of new ladies watches take us back to the flower-power ’60s era, where conventions were renounced and the abstract was embraced. Available in a wide array of dial hues, with multi-textured straps crafted from rose, white or yellow gold, flexibility is the name of the game here. And, with diamonds gracing the oval-shaped bezels, these watches are perfect for any occasion, be it during daylight or late into the night.

Harry Winston Midnight Diamond Drops

Harry Winston Midnight Diamond Drops

Even the most cursory of glances at this beautiful 29mm design evokes images of a clear midwinter night’s sky thanks to Harry Winston’s deft use of twinkling diamond ‘stars’ and a cascade of snow-set diamonds on a midnight blue dial. A crescent-shaped moon phase complication peeks out from hour and minute hands, lending an air of mystique, while a diamond-studded bezel completes the design.

Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Jewellery

Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Jewellery

Swiss watchmaker Omega has spruced up its Seamaster Aqua Terra collection with several dazzling ‘Jewellery’ models that are sure to appeal to any hoate joallerie enthusiast. This particular version features marquise-cut rubies as hour markers, with the collection’s nautical inspiration clearly visible in the 191 diamonds that grace its 18K Sedna gold dial in horizontal waves. Fitted with eye-catchingly glossy red leather straps and a cutting-edge Master Chronometer Calibre 8807 movement, it’s one of our favourite new ladies watches this season.

Second Harry Winston salon opens its doors in the centre of town

Last week, renowned haute joallerie brand Harry Winston unveiled its hottest new address in the lobby of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.

Plush interiors at the new Harry Winston salon
Plush interiors at the new Harry Winston salon

To celebrate this joyous occasion, Fadi Ghalayini, Global VP of Sales, and Jennifer Liu, Regional Managing Director of Asia, were joined by Hollywood actress Kate Hudson for a special ribbon cutting ceremony.

Kate Hudson officiates ribbon cutting ceremony at new Harry Winston store
(From left) Jennifer Liu, Kate Hudson and Fadi Ghalayini officiate the ribbon cutting ceremony

Hudson was glamorously attired Harry Winston’s Ultimate Emerald Signature Timepiece and stunning items from the Secret Cluster Collection.

Kate Hudson wore these stunners to Harry Winston salon opening
Kate Hudson was spotted in these stunners at the salon opening

This prestigious location marks the luxury jewellery atelier’s second salon in our city. The plush 214-square-metre interiors blend traditional Winston heritage with contemporary flair, and is set to house the brand’s luxury timepiece and jewellery collections.

Harry Winston Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong Salon:
Unit G1-3, G/F Mandarin Oriental, 5 Connaught Road, Central, Hong Kong

 

Hidden gems: Bonhams to put rare jewels under the hammer later this month

Bonhams, the privately owned British auctioneer, will put rare jewellery from renowned houses of Harry Winston and Cartier, and highly sought-after gems under the hammer on 30 November.

The Rare Jewels and Jadeite Auction will feature beautiful gems such as an 88-carat diamond (D/IF, Ex, Ex) single-stone ring, by Cartier and a pair of diamond (D/IF) pendent earrings, by Harry Winston.

One of the highlights of the auction is a rare 10.21-carat Kashmir sapphire and diamond ring, by Mouawad that will set you back a cool HK$6.8 million-8 million.

Kashmir sapphires were only mined in the late 19th century and they are deemed to be the king of all sapphires.

Graeme Thompson, Director of Jewellery for Bonhams Asia, spoke to Gafencu about his role at the auction house, the jewellery market in Asia and the upcoming auction, among many other things.

All of the items in the auction can be viewed from 26 November at Bonhams.

Venue: Bonhams Hong Kong Gallery, Suite 2001, One Pacific Place

Date: Wednesday 30 November, 2016

Time: 3:00pm