Art Deco Rose-Pink and White Diamond Ring by Cartier, London, circa 1930

Certification

LFG Laboratoire Francais de Gemmologie Diamond Grading Report stating that the lozenge old cut is a natural rose color, VS1 clarity, type IIa. 

Biography

Cartier was founded in Paris in 1847 by Louis-François Cartier. His three grandsons, Louis, Pierre, and Jacques, built the house into a famous international jewelry empire serving royalty, Hollywood stars, and socialites. Cartier has created some of the most important jewelry and objects of art of the twentieth century with many iconic designs such as mystery clocks, Tutti Frutti jewelry and the Panthère line. In 1983, The Cartier Collection was established with the objective of acquiring important pieces that trace the firm's artistic evolution. Today, Cartier has 200 stores in 125 countries.

Significance

Pink diamonds are exceedingly rare and desirable because of their unique and romantic color. Only .01% of all diamonds mined are colored and only a small fraction of those are pink. The number of pink diamonds found in a year wouldn’t come close to filling a champagne flute, making them one of the rarest of all stones.

Their scarcity is due to the extreme conditions in which these wonderful stones are formed. While all natural diamonds were created under intense heat and pressure up to three billion years ago, then carried up a volcanic pipe, the prevailing theory is that pink diamonds are subject to more extreme pressure that compresses their internal structure, causing the diamonds to reflect pink light. Their unique conditions required to form a pink diamond destroys many stones, leaving only a few gem quality examples. In addition, this pink diamond is Type IIA, the most chemically pure and rarest diamond type known to exist.

Sweet and powerful, this unusual ring features a lozenge-shaped rose-pink diamond on a ground of white pavé diamonds. Even more rare and desirable, this ring was designed by Cartier at the height of the Art Deco period in the 1920s when they created their most impressive and sought-after designs. The original design drawing exists in the Cartier archive showing the strong geometry of the piece. A pink diamond dating back a century is nearly unheard of outside of royal collections. This exceptional ring would be a magnificent addition to any collection.