The diamond “Pink Promise” was sold for over $32 million at auction in Hong Kong.
Christie’s auction house announced that the 14-carat diamond was sold to an unknown customer who placed the offer by phone, followed by applause in the room.
The oval jewel – which is set in a platinum ring – achieved the second-highest per-carat price ever paid for a pink diamond, behind the five-colored precious stone, which in 2009 was sold at auction for $10.78 million.
Diamond didn’t reach the estimated price of $42 million.
When the previous owner of the diamond, gemologist Stephen Silver first acquired the stone it weighed 16.10 carats, with its color classified as “fancy intense.” Over the course of three years, he oversaw a recut that shrank the diamond to 14.93 carats.
Christie’s said that this sale proves that Hong Kong has become an important jewelry sales center. The record was achieved in April when the “Pink Star” diamond was auctioned in theis city for $71.2 million.