“The Rock”, a white diamond of 228.31 carats, the largest ever sold at auction, was sold on Wednesday in Geneva for 21.7 million francs, less than its estimate and far from a record in its category. The Red Cross diamond stole the show.
“The Rock” was estimated between 19 and 30 million francs. Its final price, including the buyer’s premium (commission), amounts to 21.7 million.
With its 228.31 carats, the precious stone, whose seller is from North America but who remains anonymous, had everything to seduce gemstone enthusiasts and investors.
“It is a truly exceptional pear-shaped diamond” and “it is perfectly symmetrical”, explained Max Fawcett, head of the jewelery department at Christie’s in Geneva, a few days before the sale.
The latest record for a similar white diamond (163.41 carats) brought the stone to $33.7 million (price including buyer’s premium).
“The Rock” measures 3.1cm wide by 5.4cm long and is taller than a golf ball. It also weighs, with its 61.3 grams, more than a tennis ball. Extracted from a mine in South Africa in the early 2000s, it was then sold by Christie’s as part of an over-the-counter sale to a private collector.
Success for the Red Cross Diamond
“The Red Cross Diamond”, a 205.07 carat cushion-shaped canary yellow diamond, caused a stir. The original gem was mined in 1901 at a De Beers company’s South African mine and is said to have weighed around 375 carats, according to Christie’s. As well as ranking among the largest diamonds in the world, a striking feature of the stone is its pavilion, which is naturally faceted in the shape of a Maltese cross.
On April 10, 1918, the stone was first offered for sale at Christie’s in London by the Diamond Syndicate, to benefit the British Red Cross Society and the Order of Malta. At the time, the diamond had been sold for 10,000 pounds (regarding 600,000 pounds today, or more than 735,000 francs).
Wednesday in Geneva, it was sold for 14.1 million francs, exceeding expectations.
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