Record colourless diamond to go under the hammer Tue Feb 19, 9:51
AM ET
LONDON (AFP)
- The biggest colourless diamond to appear at auction
for 20 years will go under the hammer later this year,
officials said Tuesday.
The 101.27-carat stone, which will be sold at the Hong
Kong branch of Christie's auction house on May 28, is
expected to fetch in excess of six million dollars (three
million pounds, four million euros).
"Only three colourless diamonds
of over 100 carats have ever appeared at auction, all
sold in Geneva," said Francois Curiel, chairman
of jewellery at Christie's.
"With Asia becoming such a vibrant
market, it is fitting that this rarest gem should be
offered ... to the growing number of collectors in this
region," he added.
The diamond was found at the Premier diamond mine in
South Africa, and is being sold by a Europe-based diamond
trading company.
In 1990 the Mouawad Splendor, a 101.84-carat
pear-shaped diamond, sold for 12.7 million dollars.
The diamond unveiled Tuesday will be
on view to the public in London from Saturday until
February 27.
A 101.27 carat colourless diamond is
displayed at Christie's auction house in London. The
diamond is the biggest colourless stone to appear at
auction for 20 years and it will go under the hammer
later this year.
(AFP/Leon Neal)
A member of staff displays a rare
101.27 carat diamond, the largest colourless diamond
to appear at auction in nearly 20 years, at an auction
house in London, Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2008. The diamond
will be auctioned on May 28 in Christie's Hong Kong
Jewellery sale with an estimated price of over 3 million
pounds (US$6 million or euro4 million).
(AP Photo/Sang Tan)
