Christie's to auction 'perfect' new 102-carat diamond
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An auction house employee reaches out o pick up a pear-shaped diamond weighing 101.73 carats, in central London, on Wednesday, March 13, 2013. Offered for sale for the first time on May 15, 2013 in Geneva, Switzerland by Christie's, the gemstone, one of the largest pear-shaped diamonds known to date, is a D colour, Type IIA Flawless gem. -- PHOTO: AP
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An auction house employee holds a pear-shaped diamond weighing 101.73 carats, as she poses for the photographers in central London, on Wednesday, March 13, 2013. Offered for sale for the first time on May 15, 2013 in Geneva, Switzerland by Christie's, the gemstone, one of the largest pear-shaped diamonds known to date, is a D colour, Type IIA Flawless gem. -- PHOTO: AP
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An auction house employee holds a pear-shaped diamond weighing 101.73 carats, as she poses for the photographers in central London, on Wednesday, March 13, 2013. Offered for sale for the first time on May 15, 2013 in Geneva, Switzerland by Christie's, the gemstone, one of the largest pear-shaped diamonds known to date, is a D colour, Type IIA Flawless gem. -- PHOTO: AP
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An auction house employee holds a pear-shaped diamond weighing 101.73 carats, as she poses for the photographers in central London, on Wednesday, March 13, 2013. Offered for sale for the first time on May 15, 2013 in Geneva, Switzerland by Christie's, the gemstone, one of the largest pear-shaped diamonds known to date, is a D colour, Type IIA Flawless gem. -- PHOTO: AP
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This handout picture released by Christie’s auction house on March 13, 2013 shows a pear-shaped perfect D color, Type IIA Flawless gem diamond weighing 101.73 carats that will be offered for sale for the very first time on May 15, 2013 in Geneva. The raw original stone weighing 236 carats was extracted from Jwaneng mine in Botswana and its cut has lasted 21 months, said Christie's. The diamond goes on auction for the first time giving its buyer the privilege of giving it a name. -- PHOTO: AFP
An auction house employee reaches out o pick up a pear-shaped diamond weighing 101.73 carats, in central London, on Wednesday, March 13, 2013. Offered for sale for the first time on May 15, 2013 in Geneva, Switzerland by Christie's, the gemstone, one of the largest pear-shaped diamonds known to date, is a D colour, Type IIA Flawless gem. -- PHOTO: AP
An auction house employee holds a pear-shaped diamond weighing 101.73 carats, as she poses for the photographers in central London, on Wednesday, March 13, 2013. Offered for sale for the first time on May 15, 2013 in Geneva, Switzerland by Christie's, the gemstone, one of the largest pear-shaped diamonds known to date, is a D colour, Type IIA Flawless gem. -- PHOTO: AP
An auction house employee holds a pear-shaped diamond weighing 101.73 carats, as she poses for the photographers in central London, on Wednesday, March 13, 2013. Offered for sale for the first time on May 15, 2013 in Geneva, Switzerland by Christie's, the gemstone, one of the largest pear-shaped diamonds known to date, is a D colour, Type IIA Flawless gem. -- PHOTO: AP
An auction house employee holds a pear-shaped diamond weighing 101.73 carats, as she poses for the photographers in central London, on Wednesday, March 13, 2013. Offered for sale for the first time on May 15, 2013 in Geneva, Switzerland by Christie's, the gemstone, one of the largest pear-shaped diamonds known to date, is a D colour, Type IIA Flawless gem. -- PHOTO: AP
This handout picture released by Christie’s auction house on March 13, 2013 shows a pear-shaped perfect D color, Type IIA Flawless gem diamond weighing 101.73 carats that will be offered for sale for the very first time on May 15, 2013 in Geneva. The raw original stone weighing 236 carats was extracted from Jwaneng mine in Botswana and its cut has lasted 21 months, said Christie's. The diamond goes on auction for the first time giving its buyer the privilege of giving it a name. -- PHOTO: AFP
GENEVA (AFP) - Auction house Christie's on Wednesday said it would put up for auction "one of the world's most perfect diamonds" - a new colourless, pear-shaped gem weighing 101.73 carats.
In the rough, the diamond was 236 carats when it was extracted from the Jwaneng mine in Botswana, before it was meticulously sculpted for 21 months, Christie's said.
The diamond "has literally been sculpted like a work of art," Rahul Kadakia, who heads Christie's jewellery division in Switzerland and the Americas, said in a statement, describing the gem as "one of the most beautiful 'white' diamonds Christie's has ever had the honour of offering for sale."
The May 15 auction in Geneva will mark the first time the rock goes on sale, and the buyer will have the privilege of naming it. The American Institute of Gemology has handed the gemstone the top colourless grade "D" and the best clarity grade, "flawless," Christie's said, also hailing the diamond's "absolute symmetry".
