Sakura Diamond sells for $37.7 million, smashing auction record
The 4.19 carat pink Sweet Heart diamond ring also sold at the weekend auction. Photo: ABC/Christie's Magnificent Jewels
A pink diamond named after the famous Japanese cherry blossom flowering trees of the same colour has sold at auction for a record price.
“The Sakura Diamond,” a 15.81-carat fancy vivid purple-pink diamond ring set a world auction record price for a diamond with this rare colour combination, fetching $226 million Hong Kong dollars ($AU37.7 million) on Sunday.
The ring was sold by Christie’s Hong Kong. Bidding opened at $HK170 million and climbed to the final hammer price of $HK226.275 million, plus commission.
It was bought by a telephone bidder.
‘Sakura’ is the Japanese word for cherry blossoms that bloom for a very short period at the beginning of spring.
While it was the largest and most expensive, it wasn’t the only pink diamond sold at the high-end auction.
The ‘Sweet Heart’ diamond, shaped like a love heart, also sold for a far more modest price of $HK50 million ($8.3 million).
The previous price record for a purple-pink diamond is held by “The Spirit of the Rose”. The 14.83-carat stone sold at auction for more than $33.6 million at Sotheby’s Geneva in November 2020.
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