At over 18 carats, the vividly coloured gem is the largest pear-shaped pink diamond of its quality ever to be offered for sale at auction, the Christie's auction house said.
Christie's highlighted that this was considered a lucky number in Asia, where it signifies "definite prosperity", saying it expected the diamond to "garner interest from collectors across the globe." "Weighing in at an auspicious 18.18 carats... the weight in fact brings luck to the new owner," Angela Berden, Christie's senior jewellery specialist, told AFP.
