Record Price Tag: $26.6m for a 14.83-ct Purple-Pink Diamond
November 12, 20
(IDEX Online) - The largest vivid purple-pink diamond ever to appear at auction has sold for a record $26.6m.
The ultra-rare 14.83-carat, internally flawless, oval-cut The Spirit of the Rose (pictured) went to an anonymous phone bidder yesterday at Sotheby's Geneva.
It was cut from a 27.85-carat clear pink rough stone unearthed at Alrosa's Ebelyakh deposit in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), northeast of Russia in July 2017.
The fancy vivid purple-pink diamond was named after "Le Spectre de la rose" (The Spirit of the Rose), an acclaimed ballet premiered by the Ballets Russes company.
Benoit Repellin, head of Sotheby's Geneva 'Magnificent Jewels' auction, said: "The Spirit of the Rose caught the imagination of everyone who had the chance to see it. With its size, beautiful colour, perfect cut and oval shape, it is a wonder of nature, steeped in Russia's century-long diamond tradition and cultural heritage.
"Pink diamonds, perhaps more than any other coloured diamond, have captured the imagination of collectors for centuries, making up five out of the 10 most valuable diamonds ever sold at auction."
Alrosa cutting masters spent a whole year turning the diamond into its polished form. They chose the oval shape to achieve maximum size, with dozens of facets to emphasize the stone's gentle, rose-petal color. Before The Spirit of the Rose was unearthed, Alrosa's largest pink gem weighed 3.86 carats.