A rare diamond known as the Pink Star has been sold in Hong Kong for more than $71m (£57m), setting a new world record for any gemstone at auction². 

 

在香港最近一次拍卖会上，一颗名为“粉红之星”的珍贵钻石以7100万美元（4.9亿元人民币）的成交价刷新了全球宝石拍卖纪录。
 

 

The oval-shaped 59.6 carat stone was bought after just five minutes' bidding at Sotheby's, reports said. 

 

It is the largest polished diamond in its class to go under the hammer. 

 

It sold for $83m in Geneva in 2013 but the buyer later defaulted. The record until now was held by the Oppenheimer Blue, which sold for $50m last May. 

 

Bidding for the gem¹, which was found by De Beers at a mine in Africa in 1999 and cut over a period of two years, began at $56m. 

 

Sotheby's said the buyer was Hong Kong jewellery retailer³ Chow Tai Fook Jewellery.

 

Alexander Breckner, head of diamonds at jewellers "77 Diamonds", told the BBC that the stone was exceptional. 

 

"It's the largest pink diamond ever found in the history of humankind. It's an incredible colour to it. 

 

"And the sheer size of the stone already makes it so rare and so beautiful." 

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