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Giant diamond 'could fetch $16m' Giant white diamond fetches $16m
(about 4 hours later)
One of the biggest and brightest diamonds ever cut is up for sale, with auctioneers saying it could fetch up to $16 million. An 84.37 carat white diamond, one of the biggest and brightest ever cut, has sold for just over $16m (£7.8m) at auction in Geneva, Sotheby's says.
The 84.37-carat white diamond is about the size of a quail's egg and took two years to cut. Roughly equivalent to a quail's egg in size, it took two years to cut and is the biggest such diamond ever to have been put up for sale at auction.
"In my 32-year career, this stone ranks among the most beautiful diamonds I have ever seen," said David Bennett of Sotheby's in Geneva. It was bought by Georges Marciano, US-based founder of the clothing firm Guess?, who bid by telephone.
It is the biggest such diamond ever to be put up for sale at auction. The stone was graded as "D-colour" - the highest possible grading.
How to wear it? "In my 32-year career, this stone ranks among the most beautiful diamonds I have ever seen," said David Bennett of the auction house before the sale.
In a sale on Wednesday also featuring pink diamonds, square-cut emeralds and bracelets studded with sapphires, the catalogue described the huge diamond as "pure perfection". Pink diamonds, square-cut emeralds and bracelets studded with sapphires also featured in the auction but the catalogue described the huge diamond as "pure perfection".
Sotheby's says the jewel has received the highest possible grading: it is D-colour, or finest white, has flawless clarity and its cut, polish and symmetry have all been graded excellent. As for what to do with such a big diamond, Mr Bennett said it might be a little too large for a ring.
The diamond does however bring with it the problem of what to do with it. He favoured using it for a necklace but a jewellery designer had told him it had to be a bracelet, otherwise the wearer would not be able to see it.
Mr Bennett said it might be a little too large for a ring, though some designers apparently thought it would be "sensational" used in this way.
He favoured using it for a necklace, but a jewellery designer told him it had to be a bracelet, otherwise the wearer would not be able to see it.