Flawless 100-carat diamond fetches $22.1 million at auction

A flawless 100-carat diamond sold for a cool $22.1 million in New York on Tuesday, Sotheby's auction house said.
The dazzling diamond was mined by De Beers in southern Africa, and is about the size of a walnut, Reuters reports. It once weighed more than 200 carats, but its owner spent over a year changing its cut and polish. The rock — purchased over the phone by an anonymous buyer — is so spectacular that it forces people to gush over its beauty. "The color is whiter than white, it is free of any internal perfections, and so transparent that I can only compare it to a pool of water," said Gary Schuler, head of Sotheby's jewelry department in New York.
While $22.1 million is a huge sum of money, it doesn't shatter any records: In 2013, a 118.28 carat white diamond sold in Hong Kong for $30.6 million.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Today's political cartoons - February 15, 2025
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - modern romance, throwback, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 heart-stopping cartoons about Valentine's Day
Cartoons Artists take on precious gifts, potential acquisitions, and more
By The Week US Published
-
When 'a kiss is not a kiss': Spanish football on trial
Talking Point Luis Rubiales faces up to two-and-a-half years in jail if convicted of sexually assaulting footballer Jenni Hermoso
By The Week UK Published
-
Giant schnauzer wins top prize at Westminster show
Speed Read Monty won best in show at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club dog show
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar take top Grammys
Speed Read Beyoncé took home album of the year for 'Cowboy Carter' and Kendrick Lamar's diss track 'Not Like Us' won five awards
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The Louvre is giving 'Mona Lisa' her own room
Speed Read The world's most-visited art museum is getting a major renovation
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talks
Speed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tour
Speed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Drake claims illegal boosting, defamation
Speed Read The rapper accused Universal Music of boosting Kendrick Lamar's diss track and said UMG allowed him to be falsely accused of pedophilia
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II' ignite holiday box office
Speed Read The combination of the two movies revitalized a struggling box office
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Jussie Smollet conviction overturned on appeal
Speed Read The Illinois Supreme Court overturned the actor's conviction on charges of staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published