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UNIQUE DIAMOND collection

The Spirit of the RosE

14.83 ct

A unique fantasy diamond, rich pink in color. The stone’s weight is 14.83 carats, which makes it one of the largest pink diamonds in the world. It took a whole year for Russian cutting masters to turn a unique diamond, discovered in Yakutia, into a genuine treasure with Fancy Vivid Purple-Pink color, Internally Flawless clarity, Excellent polish and Very Good symmetry characteristics.

The oval shape ensured that the diamond would be of the maximum possible size, and the dozens of facets emphasize its gentle, rose-petal color.

November 11, 2020.

Sotheby's

This diamond was purchased by a buyer at a Sotheby’s auction in Switzerland.
The Spirit of the Rose became the world’s largest purple-pink diamond ever to be sold at auction and the most expensive diamond in its color grade.

THE

Nijinsky

ROUGH DIAMOND
27.85 Ct

A rare 27.85 carats clear pink rough diamond was unearthed on October 9, 2017 from the Ebelyakh deposit in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) in northeast Russia. It was the largest pink crystal ever mined in Russia, and was rated as the best discovery of the year by “The National Jeweler,” a well-known American magazine. The preparation and cutting process was performed at the “Diamonds ALROSA” cutting factory in Moscow.

Pink diamonds have a certain level of internal stress, which demands special care and high-level cutting skills. Thanks to the meticulous and highly professional work of ALROSA cutters and polishers, a true miracle was born—a gem, a dazzling fantasy diamond called “The Spirit of the Rose.”

The Spirit of the Rose

  • Legendary ballet story

    A short ballet called “Le Spectre de la rose” (The Spirit of the Rose), staged by the Ballet Russes company and the legendary impresario Sergei Diaghilev, premiered on April 19th, 1911 at the famous Théâtre de Monte-Carlo. A dancing miniature, just 10 minutes long, was set aside for the two biggest stars of the Ballet Russes, dancers Tamara Karsavina and Vaslav Nijinsky.

    “The Spirit of the Rose” turned out to be a true gem, and the most popular part of the Ballets Russes programme. A few short months later, it was staged in Paris, and the production was an absolute triumph. For over 100 years, the everlasting brilliance of this ballet has sparkled on the world’s best stages: – the Metropolitan Opera, London Coliseum, Royal Danish Theatre and, of course, the Mariinsky and Bolshoi theatres.

  • Storyline

    The idea for the ballet was based on a poem by French romantic poet Theofile Gautier. The poem’s title character is the ghost of a souvenir rose, pinned to a young girl’s ball gown: “I am the ghost of the rose that you wore to the ball last night.”

    The poem was a perfect match for Carl Maria von Weber's piano piece.

    The libretto read: “The curtain rises on a girl's bedroom. The young Girl, who has just returned to her home after her first ball, sleeps in a chair. In her dream a rose, a souvenir of the evening, becomes the magical Spirit of the Rose that dances with the Girl, caresses her, kisses her, then leaps through the window and into the night.”

  • Set design and costumes

    A romantic plot was embodied on stage in pure and pastel scenery and in the ethereal, petal-like, costumes created by Leon Bakst, art director of the Ballets Russes and Russia’s first couturiere.

    The set was a light boudoir with two large windows overlooking a moonlit garden. Karsavina fluttered across the stage dressed in a simple white silk gown, in contrast to the sophisticated costume of Nijinsky, whose head, neck and chest were covered with thin, delicate silk rose petals.

  • Choreography

    The audience was astounded not only by the amazing costume of the ballet’s main character, but also by his dance. The complicated, refined pattern of Nijinsky’s choreography was formed of moves that bore little resemblance to classical ballet.

    Michel Fokine, the choreographer, later commented that Nijinsky’s exceptional moves made the Spirit a truly mystical creature:

    “With its use of all the resources of classical ballet, I consider this production a new accomplishment in ballet. None of the dances were designed to merely show off technique. The dance was always very expressive. The Girl’s dancing theme was very new and very beautiful. With her eyes closed, she looks for her dream, her Spectre, and then summons it. The Spectre looks nothing like a traditional dancer, not for a single move. He doesn’t merely perform his variations just for the joy of the audience. It’s a spirit. It’s a dream.”

    The Spirit’s final leap through one of the two large windows at the back of the stage became legendary.

  • Starring role

    During the century-plus history of “The Spirit of the Rose,” the part of the mysterious nocturnal visitor was played by many legendary dancers: Maris Liepa, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Nikolay Tsiskaridze, Rudolph Nureev. But the ballet was of course set aside for the brightest star of the Ballets Russes, a raw diamond carefully cut by Sergei Diaghilev, Vaslav Nijinsky.

    The memoirs of Nijinsky’s wife contained this note:

    “It’s nearly impossible to express how fascinating Vaslav was in this role. I’ve never seen hands and arms moving so beautifully. Raised above his head, they unfolded like rose petals. Nijinsky approached Karsavina, lightly touched her with his fingertips, and involved her in a dance… With the first rays of dawn, the Spirit flew out the window like a breath of wind…A burst of applause and shouts of excitement from the crowd followed the dancer as he disappeared out the window…”

    “The Spirit of the Rose” was Nijinsky’s last performance on stage.

Michel Fokine, the choreographer, later commented that Nijinsky’s exceptional moves made the Spirit a truly mystical creature:
With its use of all the resources of classical ballet, I consider this production a new accomplishment in ballet. None of the dances were designed to merely show off technique. The dance was always very expressive. The Girl’s dancing theme was very new and very beautiful. With her eyes closed, she looks for her dream, her Spectre, and then summons it. The Spectre looks nothing like a traditional dancer, not for a single move. He doesn’t merely perform his variations just for the joy of the audience. It’s a spirit. It’s a dream.
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