The real Pink Panther: A record price of 52million for world's finest diamond as it is sold to ano

By Sara Smyth for the Daily Mail Published: 18:40 EDT, 13 November 2013 | Updated: 07:09 EDT, 14 November 2013 2 View comments A record was set last night with the auction of the worlds largest cut pink diamond.

  • Oval-shaped and mounted on a ring, diamond weighs in at 59.60 carats
  • Sotheby’s played Pink Panther movie tune after winning bid was confirmed
  • Took two years to cut and polish Pink Star - 132.5 carats in rough state

By Sara Smyth for the Daily Mail

Published: 18:40 EDT, 13 November 2013 | Updated: 07:09 EDT, 14 November 2013

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A record was set last night with the auction of the world’s largest cut pink diamond.

The Pink Star went under the hammer for $83million (£52million) in Geneva – a record price for a gemstone.

Oval-shaped and mounted on a ring, the flawless diamond weighs in at 59.60 carats and measures 2.69cm by 2.06cm.

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The Pink Star went under the hammer for $83million (£52million) in Geneva - a record price for a gemstone

The Pink Star went under the hammer for $83million (£52million) in Geneva - a record price for a gemstone

The Swiss auction took five minutes and the successful bidder was in the auction room representing an anonymous buyer.

Sotheby’s played the theme tune from the Pink Panther movie after the winning bid was confirmed. 

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David Bennett, chairman of Sotheby’s international jewellery division for Europe and the Middle East, declared: ‘Ladies and gentlemen – the world record bid for a diamond and it’s right here.’

Mr Bennett said: ‘Frankly when I sold the Graff three years ago, I thought it would be a record for a very long time. Tonight’s price is really quite extraordinary three years later.’ 

Oval-shaped and mounted on a ring, the flawless diamond weighs in at 59.60 carats and measures 2.69cm by 2.06cm

Oval-shaped and mounted on a ring, the flawless diamond weighs in at 59.60 carats and measures 2.69cm by 2.06cm

Sotheby's played the theme tune from the Pink Panther movie after the winning bid was confirmed

Sotheby's played the theme tune from the Pink Panther movie after the winning bid was confirmed

'It’s really extraordinarily rare,’ said Mr Bennett. ‘Very, very few of these stones have ever appeared at auction. It ticks all the boxes in terms of perfection.’

The winning bid surpasses the $46.2million (£29million) paid for the Graff Pink diamond three years ago, which was half the size of the Pink Star.

According to the auctioneer, the Pink Star was mined by De Beers in Africa in 1999 but the country remains a secret. The diamond was sold privately in 2007 but neither the buyer nor the price is on public record.

‘It’s really extraordinarily rare,’ said Mr Bennett. ‘Very, very few of these stones have ever appeared at auction. It ticks all the boxes in terms of perfection.’

It took two years to cut and polish the Pink Star, which was 132.5 carats in its rough state.

The sale came just a day after rival Christie’s sold the Orange, a 14.82-carat almond-shaped diamond for £22.2million, a record for the shape and size.

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