Pink diamond sells for world record $50 million

The 19-carat, rectangular-cut "Pink Legacy" diamond sold for a record 50.375 Swiss francs (€44.3 million, $50 million) on Tuesday at Christie's in Geneva.

The auction house said that renowned jeweler Harry Winston was the buyer. The identity of the seller was not disclosed.

The diamond had been expected to fetch between $30 million and $50 million. The auctioneer struck down a hammer price of $44.5 million, which excludes the standard "buyer's premium" and other fees.

Read more: 'Oppenheimer Blue' diamond sale breaks new records

Christie's said the Pink Legacy achieved a new per-carat record and was the second most expensive one ever sold at auction.

Graded "vivid," the highest rating for a pink diamond's color, Christie's says it's among the most chemically pure gems. The stone is internally pure with a regular count and mounted on a platinum ring.

Read more: Colored diamonds new cash haven?

It was once owned by the Oppenheimer family, who built De Beers into the world's biggest diamond trader.

dv/rc (AP, Reuters)

Each evening at 1830 UTC, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here.