A supremely rare pear-shaped 15.38 carat pink diamond, called the 'Unique Pink', sold for USD 31.6 million at Sotheby's in Geneva, making it the most expensive fancy vivid pink diamond ever to sell at an auction.
The diamond, was part of the 'Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels' live auction held by international auctioneers Sotheby's on May 17 in Geneva.
"It is difficult to imagine a diamond that better illustrates the term Vivid Pink than this outstanding stone. The colour is simply astonishing and, for its size, it is in my experience truly unique," David Bennett, worldwide chairman of Sotheby's International Jewellery, said in a statement today.
Tuesday's sale realised a total of USD 175.09 million, eclipsing the previous record of USD 160.9 million also set by Sotheby's in the equivalent sale in May 2015.
"Exactly one year after having set the world record for a jewellery sale, Sotheby's Geneva has raised the bar once again with a great sale and a great result for the Unique Pink," Bennett said.
The record for the most expensive pink diamond ever to sell at auction remains the 24.78 carat 'Graff Pink,' which sold for USD 46.2 million at Sotheby's in November 2010.
Previously in November 2015, a Hong Kong bidder bagged a 16.08-carat rare pink diamond and dubbed it 'The Sweet Josephine' for USD 28.5 million at a Christie's auction in Geneva.
Meanwhile, the other highlights at yesterday's sale, where 83 per cent were sold by lot, included a brooch featuring a 6.64-carat Fancy Intense Blue diamond that achieved USD 13.67 million surpassing the previous auction record set by Sotheby's Geneva in May 2010.
The buyer from Hong Kong also bought a 12.03-carat diamond for a record price of USD 48.5 million in last year's Sotheby's auction. The diamond was named 'The Blue Moon of Josephine.'
Tuesday's Sotheby's sale saw a fancy Pink diamond pendant weighing 18.51 carats totaled USD 9.77 million.
A record price per carat was achieved for a Fancy Purplish Pink diamond ring weighing 8.20 carats that sold for USD 3.69 million.
Sotheby's currently holds auction records for blue, pink, yellow, green and colourless diamonds.
