LONDON – A 507-carat diamond as big as a chicken’s egg sold for $35.3 million (euro25.8 million), breaking the record for the highest price ever paid for a rough diamond, the supplier said Friday.
The stone – which weighs just over 100 grams (3.53 ounces) – was estimated to be among the world’s top 20 high-quality rough diamonds. It was discovered in September at South Africa’s Cullinan mine.
London-listed diamond supplier Petra Diamonds Ltd. said the gem was purchased by Hong Kong-based private jewelry retailer Chow Tai Fook Jewelry Co. Ltd.
The price reflected “the incredible rarity of the diamond, which combines its remarkable size with exceptional color and clarity, and at 507.5 carats it is the 19th largest gem diamond ever discovered,” Petra CEO Johan Dippenaar said in a statement.
“It has the potential to produce one of the world’s most important polished gems,” he added.