A “flawless” white diamond the size of a small egg sold for $30.6 million at Sotheby’s Hong Kong on October 7, setting the world record for a white diamond at auction. The previous auction record was set in May when a white diamond sold at Christie’s in Geneva for $26.7 million.
Mined two years ago in Africa, the 118-carat oval white diamond was the object of two phone bidders’ pleas. After six minutes, one of the bidders dropped out. The stone was estimated to sell for between $28 million and $35 million. The 330-lot auction, which netted $95 million in total, also included a 7.6-carat flawless, round, vivid blue diamond, which carried an estimate of $19 million. Unfortunately, that gem failed to find a buyer.
The world record for a jewel at auction was set in 2010 when London jeweler Laurence Graff paid $46 million for a 24.8-carat “fancy intense pink” diamond. The record could be shattered in November when Sotheby’s is slated to offer a 59.60-carat pink diamond that is expected to sell for over $60 million in Geneva.
