Sotheby’s Sells Stunning Pink Diamond in Hong Kong for $17.77 Million

Hong Kong is in the news for different reasons these days, but beyond the unrest in the streets, the super-rich are still buying and selling really beautiful, really expensive things. A few days ago, at an auction in Hong Kong, Sotheby’s sold a stunning 8.41-carat fancy vivid purple-pink diamond for a staggering $17.77 million.

Highly transparent and very clear, the Type IIa diamond (the most chemically pure of all gemstones of this nature) boasts some pretty rare qualities, such as its size, beautiful hue, and rich saturation of color. Mined by De Beers, this particular piece was meticulously crafted from a larger, 18-carat diamond, and looks simply gorgeous on its platinum ring, mounted and pavé-set throughout with circular-cut diamonds.

Expected to sell for about $15.5 million, its eventual price means its new owner paid an incredible $2.11 million per carat. This isn’t too far off from the world record, set last year by a 14.82-carat fancy vivid orange diamond, which was sold for $35.5 million, or $2.4 million per carat.