Yellow diamond sold for £6.89m
The world's largest known yellow diamond has been sold at auction for more than 10.9 million US dollars (£6.89 million).
The world's largest known yellow diamond has been sold at auction for more than 10.9 million US dollars (£6.89 million).
Auction house Sotheby's had estimated that the pear-shaped Sun-Drop Diamond would fetch between 11 and 15 million dollars (£6.95 million to £9.48 million) at auction in Geneva.
It was bought by a telephone bidder. The sales price does not include the auctioneer's commission and any taxes the buyer might have to pay.
The diamond was sold by New York-based company Cora International, which discovered the jewel in South Africa last year.
Gemologists rate the 110.3 carat diamond as fancy vivid yellow - the highest possible colour grading.
The colour in yellow diamonds is caused by nitrogen impurities trapped within carbon molecules and hardened over the course of millions of years.