A model holds a 10.57 carat vivid pink diamond, with an estimated value of more than US$35mil (RM155mil), during a press preview at Sotheby's in New York City. Photo: AFP
A rare, vividly rosy-purple diamond, called the Eternal Pink and valued at US$35mil (RM155mil), is set to be auctioned off by Sotheby's as part of its Magnificent Jewels sale in New York in June.
The 10.57-carat stone is being marketed as the most valuable purplish-pink diamond ever brought to auction, with the highest ever pre-auction price per carat estimate, according to Sotheby's.
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"Its refined lines combined with the intensity of its colour earn it a place as one of the world's most extraordinary gems," Tom Moses, executive vice president and chief laboratory and research officer at the Gemological Institute of America, said of the cushion-cut diamond.
According to Sotheby's, the stone, which was mined in Botswana, is "comparable to ultimate masterpieces of art – far rarer than a Magritte or a Warhol", thanks to its clarity and lack of imperfections.
Pink diamonds are among the rarest and most sought-after gems in the world and considered a major draw for investors.
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The record for highest-ever auction price for such a stone is held by the CTF Pink Star, which was sold for US$71.2mil (RM314.9mil) in Hong Kong in 2017.
The Williamson Pink Star diamond, which sold for US$57.7mil (RM255.2mil) in 2022, also in Hong Kong, holds the record for the highest price per carat, at nearly US$5.2mil (RM23mil). – AFP
