The Spirit of the Rose, a 14.83-carat, internally flawless, oval-cut gem – the largest vivid purple-pink diamond ever to appear at auction – sold for a record $26.6 million at Sotheby’s Geneva Magnificent Jewels auction in Geneva, IDEX Online reports.
Cut and polished by Alrosa in a process that lasted a year, “The Spirit of the Rose” was cut from a 27.85-carat clear pink rough stone found at the Ebelyakh deposit in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Russia, in July 2017. According to the report, “before The Spirit of the Rose was unearthed, Alrosa’s largest pink gem weighed 3.86 carats”.
Benoit Repellin, head of Sotheby’s Geneva, said: “The Spirit of the Rose caught the imagination of everyone who had the chance to see it. With its size, beautiful colour, perfect cut and oval shape, it is a wonder of nature, steeped in Russia’s century-long diamond tradition and cultural heritage. Pink diamonds, perhaps more than any other coloured diamond, have captured the imagination of collectors for centuries, making up five out of the 10 most valuable diamonds ever sold at auction”.
