Martian Pink Diamond Sold For $17.4 Million At Hong Kong Auction

Martian Pink Diamond (Photo: Christie's)

An anonymous bidder purchased a rare diamond called The Martian Pink for $17.4 million when it was auctioned off in Hong Kong on Tuesday.

The Martian Pink diamond was sold for $17,395,728 or $1,444,823 per carat, nearly double the amount it was expected to fetch, which was $10 million.

The rare gem is a 12.04-carat, fancy intense pink diamond named by American jeweler Harry Winston in 1977, the year he sold it to its previous owner and when the U.S. sent a satellite to Mars.

 It is the largest round fancy intense pink diamond ever to be sold at an auction.

"Having appeared on the market for the first time in 36 years, The Martian Pink sold by Harry Winston in 1976 created a sensation during its worldwide exhibition tour and achieved a staggering $17.4 million after a ten minute bidding war. The $80 million auction was highlighted with top prices across the board, culminating in a world record price of $551,000 per carat for a perfect Burmese ruby of 6.04 carats," said Vickie Sek, director and head of Jewellery & Jadeite Department, Christie’s Asia, in a statement.