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Rare pink diamond fetches $10.8 million at Swiss auction

May 18, 2011 - 10:53 By 이우영

A model holds up a ring mounting a rare translucent pink diamond during a Sotheby's auction press preview in Geneva. Mounted in a ring the 10.99-carat, emerald-cut stone that is classified as "fancy intense pink" sold for a price of $10.8 million(7.6 million Euro) during a Sotheby's auction in Geneva on May 17. (Yonhap News)

GENEVA (AFP) - An extremely rare translucent pink diamond fetched a price of $10.8 million (7.6 million euros) at a Sotheby's auction on Tuesday, the third-highest price ever paid for one of the pink stones at auction.

"Last chance: 8.5 million francs. Sold!" auctioneer David Bennett said before a crowd of about 300 people gathered at a luxury hotel in Geneva, referring to the price before commission.

“It is the third-highest price for a pink diamond at auction," Bennett told journalists after the sale.

The 10.99-carat, emerald-cut stone was classed as a type IIa diamond, with the type II category making up less than two percent of gem diamonds, Sotheby's said on its website.

The pure color of the diamond, mounted in a ring, is classified as "Fancy Intense Pink" by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA).

Stones in this category are the most chemically pure and often have a rare transparency. They have been found in India and in more recent times in Brazil and Africa.

Valued earlier at between 8.3 and 14.8 million Swiss francs, the pink diamond had come from a private collection and had not appeared on the market for more than 30 years.

Sotheby's said it was one of the highlights of its "Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels" auction in Geneva Tuesday.

Another was an emerald and diamond tiara dating from 1900, as well as Kashmir sapphires and Burmese rubies.

The tiara sold for $10 million, not including commission, at the top end of how it had been earlier valued.

"I do not think that the market for colored diamonds has ever been as strong as it is today," Bennett said.

A 24.78-carat Fancy Intense Pink diamond was sold for a record $46.16 million at a Sotheby's auction in Geneva in November.

<한글 요약> 

희귀 핑크다이아몬드 1,080만달러에 낙찰

10.99 캐럿의 핑크 다이아몬드가 스위스 소더비 경매에서 1,080만 달러 (약 110억원)에 낙찰됐다.

이 가격은 역대 경매에서 거래된 핑크 다이아몬드 가격 중 세 번째로 높은 가격이다.

화요일날 거래된 핑크다이아몬드는 에메랄드컷으로 링위에 얹혀져 있는 형태이며 다이아몬드 분류 중 타입 2에 속한다. 여기에 속하는 다이아몬드들은 가장 순수하며, 흔치 않은 투명도를 가지고 있고, 인도에서 발굴되거나 최근에는 브라질과 아프리카에서 발견되기도 했다.

이 핑크 다이아몬드는 개인 소장품에서 나왔으며 거래 시장에 나오지 않은지 30년이 넘었다고 한다.

이날 1900년대 에메랄드와 다이아몬드로 이루어진 티아라와 캐슈미르 사파이어와 버마 루비도 거래됐다.

한편 작년 11월 스위스 제네바 소더비 경매에서 24.78캐럿짜리 핑크다이아몬드가 최고가인 4,616달러에 낙찰됐다.