A huge diamond unearthed in Botswana commanded an unearthly price of $26.7 million from Christie's auction house Wednesday amid the spring ritual of well-heeled bidders flocking or phoning in to Geneva's luxury sales.
The pear-shaped gem accounted for more than a quarter of the $102 million in sales rung up by Christie's Wednesday night, a night after Sotheby's had $78 million in sales.
"A perfect diamond commands a perfect price," Christie's trumpeted on Twitter of the record sale price for the largest D-color flawless diamond ever offered at auction -- a whopping 101.73 carats that took 21 months to polish.
Jewelry, watches and other luxury items are sold every spring by the big auction houses at Geneva's elegant lakefront hotels.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
