Largest pink diamond ‘Martian Pink’ auctioned for $17.4 million

Zeenews Bureau

Hong Kong: Billed as the biggest pink diamond ever to come up for auction, the ‘Martian Pink’ diamond fetched $17.4 million at Christies` Hong Kong this week. The rock was bought by an anonymous telephone bidder. "Having appeared on the market for the first time in 36 years, The Martian Pink sold by Harry Winston in 1976 created a sensation during its worldwide exhibition tour and achieved a staggering US$17.4m after a 10-minute bidding war," said Vickie Sek of Christie`s Asia. "The bids were very competitive... there was a lot of excitement... when it finally did come up for sale the buzz in the room was sensational," said Christie`s auctioneer Rahul Kadakia. The incredibly rare gem, is one of only two pink diamonds in the world which are said to be of `significant size`, along with a 23.60-carat Williamson Pink diamond, which was presented to Queen Elizabeth II as a wedding gift. Its owner believed it would fetch the best price in Hong Kong. Hong Kong has emerged as the world`s third biggest auction centre after New York and London, thanks largely to the growing luxury market in mainland China.