Flawless pink diamond dubbed the 'pink star' sells for world record £51.82 million
A HUGE flawless pink diamond dubbed the "pink star" has sold for a world record price for a gemstone of £51.82 million at auction today.
The diamond, mounted on a ring, weighs 59.60 carats and was bought by an unnamed man an auction in Geneva for an anonymous person he represented.
The gemstone was sold at Sotheby's semi-annual jewellery sale which took place in a heavily guarded hotel showroom.
As he brought down the hammer on the auction, Sotheby's David Bennett said: "Ladies and gentlemen, 68 million (Swiss francs) is the world record bid for a diamond ever bid and it's right here."
It surpassed our estimate. It's a large amount of money in itself but I don't think this stone has a price
The world record setting price for the pink star including commission fees and exceeded it's pre-sale estimate of £38.07m.
The previous record was held by the "Graff Pink", a 24.78 carat pink diamond bought by London based jeweller Laurence Graff in 2010 for 45.44m Swiss francs at the time.
Mr Bennett added: "It surpassed our estimate. It's a large amount of money in itself but I don't think this stone has a price."
Sotheby's said the Pink Star was cut and polished from a 132.5 carat rough diamond mined by De Beers in Africa in 1999.
It was first sold in 2007 and the seller wished to remain anonymous.