As we announced, Christie’s has presented at auction in Geneva an absolutely perfect new colourless pear-shaped diamond weighing 101.73 carats. “One of the world’s most perfect diamonds” which can also be the world’s largest ‘flawless’ gem ever was purchased for record $26.7 million by prestigious jeweller Harry Winston, the company which was recently acquired by the Swatch Group for one billion dollars. The sale topped the previous record for a diamond in the same category by more than $10 million.
“Twenty-three million (Swiss) francs! Your last chance! Twenty-three million, sold!” shouted Francois Curiel, the head of Christie’s jewellery division shouted, referring to the $23.5 million price before tax and commission, and clinching the deal in front of some 150 people gathered for the auction at a luxury Geneva hotel.
As the first ever buyer of the new diamond, Harry Winston had the privilege of naming it and had decided to call it “Winston Legacy.”
The rough diamond of 236 carats was found at the Jwaneng mine in Botswana and took 21 months to polish and to get this exceptional a D colour, Type IIA Flawless gem. Also admiration for the diamond’s “absolute symmetry”.
The previous auction record for a colourless diamond was set by the historical 76.02 carats cushion-shaped Archduke Joseph Diamond when it sold for $21.5 million at Christie’s Geneva in November 2012.
