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One word: Wow.
A rare 25-carat, barrel-shaped pink diamond has been found among the jewelry collection of former Philippine first lady Imelda Marcos, according to Christie’s auction house.
According to a Reuters report the old briolette-cut diamond, which is 25 carats, has a distinct pink color.
“Pink diamonds are exceedingly rare,” said David Warren, director of jewelry at London-based Christie’s. He added that it “could be valued at USD$5 million.”
Only three pure, vivid pink diamonds of more than 10 carats have appeared for sale in almost 250 years of auction history.
The diamond is from Telangana’s Golconda region in India which is known for the mines that have produced some of the world’s most famous gems including the Koh-i-Noor diamond, reports the Deccan Herald.
We wonder who paid for such a gem?
The Presidential Commission on Good Government, a body created to recover the millions stolen by late dictator Ferdinand Marcos and his allies, is preparing for a possible multi-million-dollar auction.
“This (appraisal) will significantly open the way to determining a final resolution on the said assets including the possible auction of the same,” the PCGG said in a statement, but added it was also open to putting the jewels on display.
It said a final decision required the approval of other agencies, and that Marcos’s widow, flamboyant former first lady Imelda Marcos, and her children, were still disputing the ownership of part of the collection before the Supreme Court.
Imelda Marcos’s lawyer Robert Sison said in a statement that ownership of the jewels was still subject to litigation.
He described the appraisal as a “very obvious political stunt.”
The long-hidden collection, seized in three batches after Marcos was overthrown in 1986, has been cited by critics as proof of how his family enriched itself while the nation sank deeper into poverty during his 20 years in power.
Imelda Marcos amassed a huge collection of jewels, valuable art works and shoes even as other Marcos relatives and allies gained fortunes during theMarcos years, critics have said.
The PCGG has been charged with recovering this wealth which it dubs “ill-gotten.”
But since the late dictator died in exile in 1989, the family has made a political comeback with many members elected to prestigious positions.
The son of the late dictator, Ferdinand Marcos Junior, is running for vice-president in next year’s elections, raising fears the family will regain its influence.
Photo: Christie’s and Sotheby’s auction house appraiser David Warren (R) examines diamond jewellery seized by the Philippine government from former first lady Imelda Marcos, at the Central Bank headquarters in Manila on November 24, 2015. AFP / Noel Celis
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