The Williamson Pink Star set a world auction record price per carat for any diamond or gemstone.
On 5th October at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, one of the world’s purest and most saturated pink diamonds, the Williamson Pink Star, sold for an outstanding $57.7 million in an unprecedented single-lot live auction.
Yielded from a 32-carat, type IIA rough diamond at the Williamson Mine in Tanzania, the 11.15-carat cushion-shaped fancy vivid pink internally flawless diamond attracted enormous interest and a flurry of nearly 50 bids, taking it – over the course of a full 20-minute bidding battle – from an opening bid of HK$130 million to well over HK$390 million, finally selling to an overseas representative in the room.
The final price achieved US$57,736,078 places the Williamson Pink Star as the second most valuable jewel or gemstone ever sold at auction, just behind the record-breaking CTF Pink Star, the 59.60-carat oval mixed-cut diamond, which sold at Sotheby’s for $71.2 million in April 2017. The result also established a world record price per carat for any diamond or gemstone ($5,178,124) which was previously held by The Blue Moon of Josephine, an internally flawless fancy vivid blue cushion-shaped 12.03-carat diamond sold by Sotheby’s Geneva in November 2015.
The US$5,178,124 per-carat price achieved for The Williamson Pink Star is almost double that of the previous per carat record for a pink diamond (US$2,656,909, achieved for The Winston Pink Legacy in 2018). More than that, the price achieved by the Williamson Pink Star now stands as a new per carat record for any diamond of any colour, handsomely exceeding the previous per carat record of US$4,028,941 (achieved for The Blue Moon of Josephine 2015.)
Patti Wong, International Chairman at Sotheby’s, said: “I feel extremely privileged that Diacore entrusted Sotheby’s with such an extraordinary beauty and for Sotheby’s Hong Kong to achieve a new world record. Following the success with De Beers Blue which achieved HK$450 million this Spring, the Williamson Pink Star has not only placed a spotlight on Hong Kong as the international trading centre for exceptional diamonds and gemstones, but also reflects on Sotheby’s international outreach, as well as our leadership, expertise and dedication to nearly three decades of developing the jewellery market in Asia.”
Nir Livnat, Chairman, Diacore, added: “Diacore is pleased to have the opportunity to work with Sotheby’s again in presenting such an extraordinary diamond at Sotheby’s Hong Kong sale. Not once, twice but three times, our partnership with the world’s leading auction house have led to another stunning world record moment last night after the success of the magnificent CTF Pink Star and De Beers Blue.”