“It is over 100 carats of flawless perfection” shared Sotheby’s Diamond Department Head Patti Wong last Thursday to NBC News about a perfect white diamond the auction house will be putting up for sale this month. The white diamond has been graded the highest grade in every criterion by the Gemological Institute of America, which judges the quality of precious stones.
Currently at Sotheby’s London, the white 102.34-carat gem was originally mined in Botswana and is approximately the size of a large strawberry. It is known as the only round brilliant-cut diamond over 100 carats in the world. The diamond is to go on a private sale sometime this month, and is expected to sell at a minimum price of $33.7 million, a record for a white diamond.
The current record sale for any diamond is held by the Pink Star. That pink diamond was sold at $71 million at Sotheby’s Hong Kong last year.
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By Chino R. Hernandez
Featured image from NBC News