The “Martian Pink” diamond has sold for $17.4 million at Christie's Hong Kong Magnificent Jewels auction. The rare rose colored stone was purchased by an anonymous telephone bidder after just six minutes of auction. The Martian Pink—a 12.04 carat fancy intense pink diamond— is one of two pink diamonds in the world of a significant scale. The other is the 23.60 carat “Williamson Pink,” which belongs to Queen Elizabeth II.

“As a round stone, it is one of the most expensive round pink diamonds that’s ever been sold at auction anywhere in the world, so yes it did break a record in that sense,” said Rahul Kadakia, Christie’s head of jewelry in the US. 

Part of the Martian Pink’s high value is attributed to its pure pink color. Most naturally pink diamond possess some orange, purple, or gray coloration, known as secondary color. But the Martian Pink does not have any secondary color.

"It's very difficult to have round colored diamonds that actually show their color with this intensity which is why most colored diamonds that you see are cut into fancy shapes; either a rectangular shape, a heart, an oval. But to have a round diamond, the most classic cut of them all, with 57 facets and to have this kind of color intensity, is very rare,” said Kadakia.
 

The pink diamond, purchased from Harry Winston in 1976, was dubbed “Martian Pink” by Winston because 1976 was the year the US sent its first satellite mission to Mars.

The final $17.4 million sale price significantly exceeded its presale estimate of $8-$12 million. Sources say that the American owner who put the diamond up for auction correctly believed that the stone would earn more if it were put up for auction in Hong Kong.

“The bids were very competitive… there was a lot of excitement… when it finally did come up for sale the buzz in the room was sensational,” said Kadakia.