HONG KONG, April 4, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- This evening in
Hong Kong, Sotheby's (NYSE: BID)
set a new world auction record for any diamond or jewel when The
Pink Star, a 59.60-carat oval fancy vivid pink and internally
flawless diamond, sold for $71.2
million. The buyer was Hong
Kong jeweler Chow Tai Fook, with the winning telephone bid
placed by their Chairman, Dr. Henry Cheng
Kar-Shun, who has renamed the stone The CTF Pink.
"It is fitting that the owner of the most prestigious jeweler in
Greater China should today break
the record for the most valuable item ever sold in Asia as well as the most valuable diamond ever
sold at auction - now appropriately named The CTF Pink - said
Sotheby's President and CEO Tad
Smith, adding, "And Sotheby's has been honored and thrilled
to serve this very discerning client for many years."
The CTF Pink joins a number of outstanding stones in the
collection of Chow Tai Fook including the Aurora Green, a
5.03-carat vivid green diamond acquired in 2016 for $16.8 million, a new auction record for a green
diamond, and the Cullinan Heritage, an exceptionally rare 507-carat
rough diamond acquired for $35.3
million in 2010 that was cut and polished over three years
to create "A Heritage in Bloom", a unique masterpiece of diamond
jewelry. The Pink Star has been renamed 'The CTF Pink' in
memory of the late Dr. Cheng Yu-Tung, father of the current
chairman and founder of Chow Tai Fook, and commemorates the
esteemed brand's 88th anniversary.
About Sotheby's
Sotheby's has been uniting collectors
with world-class works of art since 1744. Sotheby's became the
first international auction house when it expanded from
London to New York (1955), the first to conduct sales in
Hong Kong (1973), India (1992) and France (2001), and the first international
fine art auction house in China
(2012). Today, Sotheby's presents auctions in 10 different
salesrooms, including New York,
London, Hong Kong and Paris, and Sotheby's BidNow program allows
visitors to view all auctions live online and place bids from
anywhere in the world. Sotheby's offers collectors the resources of
Sotheby's Financial Services, the world's only full-service
art financing company, as well as the collection advisory services
of its subsidiary, Art Agency, Partners. Sotheby's
presents private sale opportunities in more than 70 categories,
including S|2, the gallery arm of Sotheby's Global Fine Art
Division, and two retail businesses, Sotheby's Diamonds and
Sotheby's Wine. Sotheby's has a global network of 80 offices in 40
countries and is the oldest company listed on the New York Stock
Exchange (BID).
Browse sale catalogues, view original content, stream live
auctions and more at www.sothebys.com, and through Sotheby's apps
for iPhone, iPad, Android, Apple TV and Amazon Fire
New York | +1 212 606
7176 | Lauren Gioia |
Lauren.Gioia@Sothebys.com | Dan
Abernethy | Dan.Abernethy@Sothebys.com
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SOURCE Sotheby's