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The Rock is the largest white diamond ever auctioned
Photo: FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP
The largest white diamond ever sold at auction, The Rock, has changed hands for 17.8 million euros.
The 228.31-carat gemstone is larger than a golf ball and weighs more than a tennis ball.
However, he did not achieve the record price he had hoped for at the auction at Christie's in Geneva.
In the run-up to the auction, »The Rock« was estimated at 19 to 28.4 million euros.
Including commission, he is now going to the new owner for 20.7 million euros.
The auction in the fully occupied hall lasted only a few minutes.
When the bid was accepted, there was applause.
The seller is based in North America but declined to be identified.
"It's a diamond cut in the shape of a pear and it's really extraordinary," enthused Max Fawcett, head of jewelry at Christie's in Geneva.
The diamond is "absolutely symmetrical."
There are only a "handful" of diamonds of this type.
Heavier than a tennis ball
»The Rock« is 3.1 centimeters wide and 5.4 centimeters long.
At 61.3 grams, it is heavier than a tennis ball.
It was found in a mine in South Africa at the beginning of the century.
However, the price paid is not a record.
This was achieved in November 2017: also in Geneva, a price of 33 million euros was paid for a similar white diamond of 163.41 carats.
ani/AFP
