Largest-ever purple-pink diamond sells for THIS whopping price, pics go VIRAL

A purple-pink diamond of 15.81-carat has set a new record as the largest ever to be auctioned, selling for USD 29.3 million or Rs 213 crores in Hong Kong. Set on a platinum ring, the purple-pink diamond named 'The Sakura', which translates to the Japanese word for cherry blossom was put under the hammer by the auction house Christie's.

Christie's said that the diamond was bought by an Asian private buyer on Sunday, but did not divulge any other details.

The diamond is classed as 'fancy vivid' because of its depth of color and 'internally flawless', meaning any blemishes internally are only visible under a powerful microscope. Just 1% of pink diamonds are said to be larger than 10 carats and just 4% are graded 'fancy vivid'.  

"We are very excited to have marked another important chapter in jewellery auction history today with 'The Sakura' realizing a record-breaking price continuing Christie's tradition of offering the finest pink diamonds at auction," Christie's said in a statement.

'The Sakura' was auctioned alongside 'The Sweet Heart', a 4.2-carat fancy vivid heart-shaped pink diamond ring, which sold for USD 6.6 million. 

'The Sakura' beat a previous record set by 'The Spirit of the Rose', a 14.8-carat purple-pink diamond which was sold for over USD 27 million at an auction organized by Sotheby's in Geneva, Switzerland in November.