A 16.08-carat cushion-shaped fancy pink diamond was sold at Christie’s in Geneva for $28,523,925, a new world auction record for any pink diamond , offered at auction.
The diamond was acquired by a private Asian buyer who named it just after the auction 'Sweet Josephine.'
The pink diamond 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.
"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."
In almost 250 years of auction history, only three pure vivid pink diamonds of over 10 carats have appeared for sale, according to Christie's.
A pear-shaped flawless white diamond weighing 50.48 carats sold for $7.85 million Swiss francs in strong bidding and was second-highest selling lot.
The sale featured jewels by Harry Winston, Van Cleef & Arpels, Boucheron, Cartier and Bulgari which sold for well beyond pre-sale estimates, including a Bulgari coral onyx and diamond bracelet-watch designed as a coiled serpent.
