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The "Unique Pink", weighing 15.38 carats and mounted on a
ring, sold to an Asian private collector bidding by telephone,
the auction house said.
It was the star lot at the saleroom's semi-annual auction in
Geneva, with a pre-sale estimate of $28 million-$38 million.
"The Unique Pink set a new world record for a fancy vivid pink
diamond ... It's the highest price ever paid for a fancy vivid
pink diamond," David Bennett, worldwide chairman of Sotheby's
international jewellery division, told reporters.
The "Sweet Josephine", a fancy vivid pink diamond weighing 16.08
carats, held the previous record since selling for $28.5 million
at rival Christie's in November, and still retains the price per
carat record in the category.
Overall, the Sotheby's sale netted $175.2 million, "setting a
new world record for any jewellery auction", Sotheby's said in a
statement. It eclipsed $160 million set a year ago.
In all, 83.2 percent of the 488 lots on offer found new owners,
but "The Emperor Ruby" was among those stranded, with a bid of
3.6 million francs.
"There were a few stones that were disappointing but overall the
sale was a huge success," Bennett said.
A British collection of 29 jewels by French jeweller Cartier
sold for $3.4 million, doubling its low estimate, he said.
A "new world record" was set for a jewel by the late Paris-based
jeweller Alexandre Reza - a fancy intense blue diamond brooch
surrounded with diamonds sold for $13.4 million, he said.
"We've made a great effort to put together a sale that we
thought was suitable for this particular market which is strong
for the right things," Bennett said. "It seems to have paid
off."
Ehud Arye Laniado, chairman of New York-based Cora International
LLC, which cut, polished and sold the pink diamond, told Reuters
in the showroom: "It was the time to sell. It is quite a strong
price.
"We think slowly the market is grouping together with people who
do believe in strong prices for fancy coloured diamonds. It is a
good sign because we see people who do believe in the resale
value of those stones, like art," he added. "The trend will move
to white diamonds."
(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Louise Ireland)
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