The Vivid Pink diamond sold for US$10,776,660 at Christie’s Hong Kong Sale last week setting an auction record price of US$2.1million per carat.
The 5 carat diamond, which is the largest vivid pink potentially flawless diamond to ever be offered for sale at auction, was expected to sell for between US$5-7 million.
Vickie Sek, director of Christie’s Asia Jewellery and Jadeite Department, said the Vivid Pink was “the glittering star” of the Hong Kong sale where “record prices were achieved across all categories”.
“US$2.1m per carat is by far the highest price per carat achieved for any gemstone worldwide and, at US$10.8million, the Vivid Pink is the most expensive jewel sold at auction in 2009,” she said.
According to Christies spokesperson Kate Malin, the Vivid Pink shows absolutely no trace of a secondary colour, making it exceedingly rare, both commercially and naturally.
“Its even colour depth and distribution, combined with a balanced saturation and tone of the straight pink hue, qualify the Vivid Pink for the coveted Fancy Vivid colour grading from the GIA. That only one in 100,000 diamonds possesses a colour deep enough to qualify as ‘Fancy’ underscores its absolute rarity.”
The previous sales record for a pink diamond at auction was held by a rectangular-cut fancy pink VVS2 diamond of 19.66 carats sold for US$7,421,318 in November 1994.