Lot 2076. The Red Winter Flower. An impressive fancy red diamond and diamond brooch, by Scott West. Estimate HKD 15,500,000 - HKD 25,000,000 (US$2,000,000-3,200,000). Unsold. © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

Designed as a vari-cut diamond flower brooch, centering on a square-shaped fancy red diamond, weighing approximately 1.58 carats, within a surround set with a square-shaped fancy purplish red diamond, weighing approximately 0.36 carat, rectangular-cut fancy red diamond, weighing approximately 0.30 carat, and pear-shaped fancy red, fancy purplish red and fancy red diamond, weighing approximately 0.27, 0.26 and .022 carat respectively, mounted in platinum and gold, 5.6 cm. Signed Scott West

Accompanied by six reports dated 13 August 2012 to 6 October 2016from the GIA Gemological Institute of America with the following details:

Report Weight Colour Clarity Cut
1162861692 1.58 Fancy Red N/A Square
2155631118 0.36 Fancy Purplish Red VVS1 Square
5141115865 0.30 Fancy Red VS1 Rectangular
1152211425 0.27 Fancy Red N/A Pear
1152205484 0.26 Fancy Purplish Red N/A Pear
2145936461 0.22 Fancy Red SI1 Pear

Note: Coloured diamonds are a natural phenomenon. The geological conditions required to yield these exceptional gemstones are rare, making diamonds with distinct colours of red, green, blue and pink unique and valuable. To avid gemstone collectors, pure red diamonds are considered to be the most precious of all fancy coloured diamonds. Even with notable deposits in the Argyle mines in Australia in the 1980s, only few pure red diamonds have been documented, examined or even discovered. Red diamonds are so rare, that GIA records show that over a 30 year period from 1957 to 1987 there was no mention of a GIA lab report issued for a diamond with “red” as the only descriptive term. It is no wonder that the last significant ‘Fancy Red’ diamond Christie’s sold, a 2.09 carats heart-shaped fancy red diamond ring, by Moussaieff, made a record price of HK$39,320,000, or US$2.4 million per carat.

It is important to note that no other gemstone’s ‘red’ can be compared to a red diamond’s due to the latter’s specific brilliance and lustre. The cause of its colour is not yet thoroughly understood; it is generally concluded that the hue results from structural features in the diamond’s crystal lattice combined possibly with minute quantities of nitrogen. It is also the only colour grading in the diamond family which doesn’t come with a prefix like ‘intense’ or ‘vivid’; the GIA considering the red colour itself as an intensity grade. 

The Red Winter Flower is an extraordinary piece by Scott West. Featuring six red diamonds, each diamond took more than five years to acquire and the design took more than 3 months to conceptualize. Inspired by nature’s beauty and phenomenal creation, this is a true collector’s dream.

Christie's. Hong Kong Magnificent Jewels, 30 May 2017, Convention Hall