Headlines

‘Sakura’ Diamond Sells for Record $29M

It’s ‘the largest purple pink flawless diamond ever sold at auction.’

Published

2 years ago

May 25, 2021

INSTORE Staff

The Sakura became the largest purple pink flawless diamond ever sold at auction.

HONG KONG – A gem called The Sakura sold for a record $29.3 million at the Christie’s Magnificent Jewels auction in Hong Kong.

The stone became “the largest purple pink flawless diamond ever sold at auction,” according to a Christie’s press release. The Sakura is named for the Japanese word for cherry blossom.

The piece was purchased by a private Asian buyer, according to reports.

The May 23 auction totaled $76.8 million. Another notable pink diamond in the sale – The Sweet Heart, a fancy vivid pink diamond ring of 4.19 Carats, sold for nearly $6.6 million.

“We are very excited to have marked another important chapter in jewellery auction history today, with The Sakura realising a record-breaking price of US$29.3 million, continuing Christie’s tradition of offering the finest pink diamonds at auction,” said Vickie Sek, chairman, department of jewelry, Christie’s Asia Pacific.

“The strong sell-through rates and exceptional prices achieved for top quality coloured diamonds and gemstones reflect a robust market demand, and we look forward to extending this strong buying momentum to our upcoming live auction in New York on 8 June.”

Time for More “Me Time”? Time to Call Wilkerson

Rick White, owner of White’s & Co. Jewelry in Rogers, Ark., knew it was time to retire. Since the age of 18, jewelry had been his life. Now it was time to get that “me time” every retailer dreams about. So, he chose Wilkerson to manage his going-out-of-business sale. White says he’d done plenty of sales on his own, but this was different. “Wilkerson has been a very, very good experience. I’ve had the best salespeople in the history of jewelry,” he says. “I recommend Wilkerson because they are really the icon of the jewelry business and going-out-of-business sales. They’ve been doing it for decades. I just think they’re the best.”