14 DAY TRIAL // This week, a diamond sold for a whopping $22.1 million (roughly €20.5 million) at an auction organized by Sotheby's in New York City, US.
Several other precious stones were offered at this auction, together with pieces of jewelry. All in all, the event brought $65,086,500 (approximately €60,595,200).
The diamond was well worth its price, experts say
That diamonds are insanely expensive is news to nobody. Still, some might be wondering how and why one such gem ended up being sold for as much $22.1 million (roughly €20.5 million).
As detailed by experts working with auction house Sotheby's, the gem fetched this much money for being colorless, fairly big and absolutely flawless.
Thus, the precious stone, a photo of which is available next to this article, is described as a 100-carat diamond showing no cracks, impurities or any other imperfections.
Apparently, simply being colored would have diminished its value. This is because, in the case of diamonds, color is a sign of elements being trapped together with carbon in their structure.
“This diamond is exceptional in every sense of the word, and we were thrilled to see it achieve such a strong result. The stone captivated people around the world,” said Lisa Hubbard, chairman of Sotheby’s Jewelry Division in the Americas.
The flawless stone is said to have been mined in South Africa in recent years. When recovered from the ground, it was twice as big. To turn it into a proper gem, experts had to cut it.
Highlights of this latest Sotheby's auction
As mentioned, many other precious stones and even pieces of jewelry were auctioned off together with the rare colorless diamond. Of these, a necklace carrying a bonanza of gems sold for $2.6 million (€2.4 million).
Two diamond rings sold for $3.3 million (€3 million) and $2.4 million (€2.2 million), respectively, and a brooch fetched over $1 million (approximately €0.9 million).