Affluent Page Magazine Presents 24.78 Carat Pink Diamond Expects Upwards of $27 Million

Just because a diamond is forever does not mean a diamond owner is forever.

After about 60 years of sitting in a private collection since Harry Winston’s hands were lightened of its heavy (24.78 carat) load, one of the world’s greatest diamonds will be up for grabs at Sotheby’s sale of Magnificent Jewels in Geneva.

The ring is the crowning item of roughly 500 exquisite lots to be auctioned on Tuesday, November 16, at the Hotel Beau-Rivage. The sale follows a three-day exhibition at the same venue.

The Fancy Intense Pink Emerald-Cut Diamond, mounted on a silver ring and flanked by two white diamonds, is expected to fetch anywhere between $27-38 million, according to Sotheby’s Press Release. But calling the ring “fancy” refers to more than just the price tag—its pink coloring was officially graded “fancy intense pink” by the Gemological Institute of America.

Since their discovery some hundreds of years ago in the mines of India, jewelers have coveted pink diamonds for their rarity as well as their beauty. In 2002, the much-publicized engagement of Ben Affleck to Jennifer Lopez via pink heart-shaped engagement ring brought more global attention to the rare gems. Unlike the Fancy Pink, the Affleck-Lopez ring weighed in at 6.5 carats, costing a reported $1.2 million. It, too, proved slippery in the long run: the engagement was broken in off in 2004 and Lopez returned the ring to Affleck, who then asked Harry Winston to sell it for him.

Diamonds are believed to attain colors by developing unusual distortions while created inside the earth. The distortion then affects the absorption of light to reflect a particular color.

Currently, the world’s most expensive diamond is the Fancy Deep Blue Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond. Weighing 35.56 carats, it sold for $26.2 million in December of 2008 at Christie’s. Sotheby’s Fancy Intense Pink Diamond is expected to surpass that price at minimum.

In addition to dubbing the diamond “fancy intense pink,” the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) gives it a VVS2 clarity grade, just three grades away from FL, or flawless. The GIA goes further to say that after the stone is polished, it could very well be given a new grade of FL.

This begs the question…after spending $38 million for one of the world’s greatest diamonds, how much does one spend on polishing?

~Affluent Page

Affluent Page Magazine Presents Underwater Sculpture Museum Debuts In Mexico

On November 27, travelers to Mexico will soon be able to explore the captivating underwater museum — the largest in the world.

The museum will feature a collection of life-sized sculptures, creating “The Silent Evolution.” A series that depicts the history of man from ancient Mayan civilizations up to today. These life-size figurines depict actual people, with realistic gestures and positions.

It  will be part of the National Park in Cancun. Four hundred sculptures have already been submerged in the Caribbean waters, off the Yuctan Peninsula in Mexico’s eastern state of Quintana Roo.

These magnificent sculptures will be available for tourists and visitors that wish to admire the originality, beauty and uniqueness of these works of art, while snorkeling or dive in the sub aquatic museum, as one of the many activities to do in Cancun and Isla Mujeres. Not only can the underwater museum be seen while beneath the depths of the sea, but collectively the pieces also form the shape of a human eye when viewed from below.

The sculptures have been designed to be durable and will have no detrimental effect on the local ecosystem. The conservation of coral is at the forefront of many environmentalists’ minds. They are made of ph-neutral concrete, which will hopefully attract algae and marine life.

“It all happens rather quickly — within two weeks we will see green algae,” says artist Jason de Caires Taylor, who is in charge of the project. “Then within a few months, juvenile algae will appear and the project will progress from there.”

-Affluent Page

Affluent Page Magazine Presents Winston Churchill’s Car Will Auction For Estimated £250,000

The well-known vehicle used to drive Sir Winston Churchill will be auctioned off at what is said to be the best British auction venue–Brooklands. On December 4, the venue will have its third major sale, in which the Daimler DB18 Drophead Coupe is estimated to be sold for up to £250,000.

The car was owned by Churchill during his 1944 and 1949 political campaigns. The vehicle’s exterior was retouched by Carlton Carriage Co., and has undergone restoration for an estimated £140,000.

With a green leather interior, black bodywork and a wooden dashboard, this historic piece is nothing short of a modern marvel. It also features a touch of cabriolet on the hood along with black Jaeger instruments that compliment the vehicle’s body.

With only eight created in 1939, four of which were destroyed in different circumstances. The model being auctioned is the only remaining model of the vehicle.

Although it is vintage, the car can reach 76 mph, and go from 0-50mph in 17.9 seconds. The car DB18 also utilizes a 4 speed gearbox and a fluid flywheel.

It has traveled from Germany to the UK and was once owned by an Iranian prince. This month, the car is being showcased in Brooklands Museum before its December 4 auction.

Despite its age, any car enthusiast who would love to ride in an exquisite piece of history should look no further than Brooklands. Although it may not win races anytime soon, the Daimler DB18 Drophead Coupe’s history and class could make it the most valuable player in any parking lot.

-Affluent Page

Affluent Page Presents Embraer’s Phenom 300 Embarks on a 40-City Tour

Flight Options, a leading aircraft fractional ownership company boldly claims that its newest aircraft, the Phenom 300, literally “renders the competition obsolete”. ”The Phenom 300 must be seen to truly understand how it exceeds every other jet aircraft in its class,” says Jay Heublein, Vice President of Sales and Marketing.

Currently, the Flight Options team is on the road dazzling audiences with the 300’s unequaled performance and operational efficiency.  The tour, expected to last until mid-July, plans to hit such major cities as New York, Dallas, Chicago, and Las Vegas.

“We are extremely excited to travel the country and show people first-hand, a plane that integrates exceptional performance and spacious comfort at a fraction of the cost you would expect to pay for an aircraft of its caliber,” says Heublein. Some of the Phenom’s features include a spacious, lightweight cabin built to accommodate up to 7 passengers, the latest in advanced safety equipment, and a surprising $1,400 per hour rate, which creates an average saving of 25%.

For more info on tour dates, locations, and RSVP information visit http://www.flightoptions.com/phenom-tour.html

~Affluent Page

Affluent Page Magazine Presents More Affordable Suborbital Space Flight

While Virgin Galactic’s first manned flight only took place this month, Lee Valentine, executive vice president of the Space Studies Institute in Princeton, N.J., expects that the cost of space tourism will significantly decrease in the next few years. At this weekend’s NewSpace 2010 Conference, he stated predictions that space travel will only cost $50,000 per seat by the year 2014. Currently, Virgin Galactic is charging $200,000 for a ticket aboard their SpaceShip Two, but their current company policy seems to embrace Valentine’s prediction having stated in the past that they have “managed to reduce drastically the price of getting to space and over time will reduce it still further.” In comparison to the first commercial space orbit in 2001 which cost millionaire Dennis Tito $20 million, their innovations in space flight have already managed to make space tourism more widely accessible.

However, should the novelty of space flight spur you to reserve seats sooner than 2014, Virgin Galactic is still accepting deposits for suborbital space flight. Since our last posting on the company, Virgin Galactic’s ventures into space have become less theory and more reality. Both ship models, the WhiteKnight Two and SpaceShip Two, had all systems evaluated during their 6 hour and 12 minute flight this July bringing the SpaceShip Two, a passenger ship, one step closer to commercial travel. On board, each passenger would have a clear view of the cosmos through two large windows, both overhead and alongside of seating, giving space tourist the option of remaining seated or floating in zero gravity. The ship boasts safety with a carbon composite construction and a new kind of horizontal air launch instead of a traditional ground launch. The new technique requires less fuel and allows for smoother landing.

And although the science of space travel limits amenities aboard the ship, Virgin has not abandoned their luxury style. As part of their deposit, aspiring astronauts purchase membership to “perhaps the world’s most exclusive club with privileged access to all aspects of the project as it progresses…from Astronaut Forums with Sir Richard Branson on his Caribbean island home or his South African game reserve to opportunities to tour Scaled Composites”.of new vehicles. For booking please contact one of the many accredited space agents across the globe or visit the Virgin Galactic website.

~Affluent Page

Affluent Page Magazine Presents Bulgari Blue Diamond to Exceed $12 Million at Christie’s Auction

Fancy vivid blue diamonds have always been hard to come by, but this October, Christie’s will feature the largest triangle cut blue diamond ever to hit the auction block. Weighing in at 10.95 carats, the richly hued jewel is paired with a slightly smaller colorless diamond (9.87 carats) in a gold ring setting. In addition, the ring bears all the prestige associated with Bulgari craftsmanship. Founded in 1887, Bulgari has always created works of supreme refinement, and the ring exemplifies this mission. It should come as no surprise that the original collector considered the brilliant diamond and its companions the perfect piece to congratulate his wife on the birth of their first son in an age-old family tradition. Now on the market, for the first time in roughly 40 years, the diamond is already making quite a stir. According to Rahul Kadakia, Head of Jewelry for Christie’s America, “This ring’s exceptional quality, rarity, and size combined with the coveted imprimatur of the house of Bulgari make this upcoming sale a truly special event in the world of jewelry and one that is certain to make auction history.”

This generously set ring is expected to sell for over $12 million dollars, and in light of how rarely such gems are available to the public, this spectacular ring could sell for far more than the expected value. In December of 2008, the gray-blue Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond sold for $24,300,000, breaking the world auction record for any single jewel. Bulgari’s equally beautiful azure stone may be less sizable than the Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond, but the ring’s composition highlights the best modern forms to come out of the 1970’s. The diamonds’ natural beauty is emphasized by their bold cut and their contrasting shades. The band’s minimalist styling is balanced with diamonds flush together. This is a piece that will never go out of fashion.

Although Christie’s Jewels auction will be conducted at their New York location, key items, including the Bulgari Blue diamond, will be on tour throughout September for international bidders.

~Affluent Page

Christies

Affluent Page Magazine Presents Piero Manzoni’s Achrome Piece Exepected to Fetch $2,902,650

During his short career, Piero Manzoni endeavored to create universal art that expressed the act of simple existence. Created in 1958-59 as part of a collection of Achromes that began in 1957, Achrome was one of Manzoni’s signature ‘colorless’ works that existed in opposition to the monochromes popular at the time. In order to construct these piece, Manzoni folded and stitched kaolin-soaked canvases, preserving the fabric’s own intent. Kaolin is a kind of clay often used in making porcelain and the substance stiffens the canvases into their final form. Through this process, each Achrome would form itself, removing the artist from the act of creation. By doing this, Manzoni hoped to create art that could appeal to viewers on a fundamental level. No longer part of the work’s formation, Manzoni became only an enabler for art.

This particular Achrome has been featured in print by Museo d’Arte Contemporanea Donnaregina, Museo Nacional de Arte Reina Sofía, and Karsten Schubert LTD as an archetype of Piero Manzoni’s art. In leaving the canvas blank, Manzoni removed the signifier from art. In Achrome, the canvas is not referential. Instead, it highlights its own form and its own potential. The piece expresses a sense of advent, waiting to become something more than itself. Certainly a post-war piece, Achrome redefines art and breaks from the traditional image. His works’ simplicity reflect the sentiments of both the Italian Arte Povera movement and the global trend towards Minimalism.

Along with several other works entitled Achrome by Piero Manzoni, Achrome will be presented as part of Christie’s Italian Sale on October 14, 2010 and is expected to fetch up to $2,902,650 as the highlight of the collection. Other lots that will also be on the auction block include Marino Marini’s sculpture Cavaliere which is expected to fetch up to $2,824,200 and Alberto Burri’s Nero Cretto which is expected to sell for$1,569,000.

~Affluent Page