The Spirit of the Rose, the world’s largest vivid purple-pink diamond ever to appear at auction, sold for US$26.63 million at Sotheby’s Geneva, setting a world record for a purple-pink diamond. 

Mined and cut by Russian miner Alrosa, the 14.83-carat fancy vivid purple-pink internally flawless diamond was bought by an anonymous buyer over phone bidding. Named after a celebrated Russian ballet, the ultra-rare gem was faceted from the largest pink crystal ever mined in Russia. 

Benoit Repellin, head of Sotheby’s Geneva Magnificent Jewels auction, commented, “The Spirit of the Rose caught the imagination of everyone who had the chance to see it. With its size, beautiful colour, perfect cut and oval shape, it is a wonder of nature, steeped in Russia’s century-long diamond tradition and cultural heritage. It fully deserves the price achieved tonight, which is also testament to the growing appreciation, and awareness of the great scarcity of pink diamonds around the world. With the supply of these beautiful stones becoming ever more limited, these gems are likely to continue to become even more prized.”