A large vivid diamond of a rare pink hue, weighing more than 16 carats, fetched $28.55 million on Tuesday at auction in Geneva.
A Chinese client based in Hong Kong bought the cushion-shaped pink diamond weighing 16.08 carats and graded vivid fancy pink, which is set in a platinum and gold ring surrounded by a double row of pave-set white diamonds, the auction house said. Its pre-sale estimate was $23 million to $28 million.
The seller was not identified and the buyer, who has named the pink diamond ‘The Sweet Josephine,’ wished to remain anonymous, Christie’s said. The diamond’s origin was not disclosed.
‘It is absolutely a top price for a stone of this quality, because of its color. There are few pink-pink the way this one was,’ said Francois Curiel, chairman of Christie’s Luxury Group and its veteran jewelry expert, who conducted part of the evening auction in a packed salesroom.
‘It shows we are dealing with a very healthy stone market,’ he told reporters. ‘There is lots of cash in the world right now. At the moment, works of art, diamonds and jewels are a safe haven.’
