Yellow Sun-Drop diamond goes for $10.9m at Sotheby's
- Published
The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's Imogen Foulkes: "Despite the downturn, jewellery sales in Geneva have been brisk"
An extremely rare yellow diamond known as the Sun-Drop has sold at auction in Geneva for just over $10.9m (£6.8m).
Sotheby's auctioneer David Bennett said the sum - paid by a telephone bidder who preferred to stay anonymous - set a world record for a yellow diamond.
The 110.3 carat pear-shaped diamond is said to be one of the largest diamonds ever to appear at auction.
Discovered in South Africa last year, it was sold by New York-based Cora International.
The diamond was certified by gemologists as "fancy vivid yellow", the rarest and most desirable colour for a yellow diamond, Sotheby's had said.
The colour is the result of traces of nitrogen trapped within carbon molecules and hardened over the course of millions of years.
The diamond had a pre-sale estimate of $11-15m. With commission and taxes, the buyer paid out $12.36m.
"It sold for a record for a yellow diamond... It was exactly within our expectation for this spectacular stone," Mr Bennett told reporters after the sale.
- Published15 November 2011
- Published24 February 2011