“The Historic Pink Diamond” – an 8.72-carat Fancy Vivid Pink diamond that may have been owned by Princess Mathilde Bonaparte, niece of Napoleon I, sold for a whopping $15,9 million at Sotheby’s Geneva Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels sale. The auction house said “The Historic Pink Diamond” only recently resurfaced after sitting in a bank vault since the 1940s. A buyer was not disclosed by Sotheby’s.
The Historic Pink Diamond Sold for $15,9 Million
Another of its former owners was the reclusive American heiress and philanthropist Huguette Clark, who died in 2007. It only recently reappeared after having been kept in the safe of a bank since the 1940s.
The origins of the stone remain unclear. The technical characteristics of the stone and the fact that it is so old suggest it may have been found in the famous Golconda mines of India, according to David Bennett, head of Sotheby’s international jewellery division.
The Historic Pink Diamond Sold for $15,9 Million
But, the top lot of the Tuesday evening was the “Sunrise Ruby,” a 25.59-carat Burmese stone that sold for $30.3 million, smashing its high estimate of $16 million. The sale established a new world record for ruby at auction, a new world auction record for any ruby per carat, and a new world auction record for any stone by Cartier.
