Remember that auspicious 88 carat diamond that was scheduled for an April auction show with Sotheby's? The magnificent, oval-cut D-Flawless diamond eventually sold for 13.8 million dollars (or 156,150 USD per carat). This happened during the Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite Sale held by the esteemed auction house. The stone, now named the Manami Star, was acquired by a private Japanese collector who had named it after his eldest daughter.
The initial estimate price of the diamond was only somewhere between 11.2 to 12.7 million dollars, so the actual sale price actually exceeded many experts' expectations regarding the stone's worth and reception. Such large oval-cut brilliant diamonds are quite rare, even at auction events. Only three oval diamonds over 50 cts have ever been auctioned to date, including this one.
A quote from Sotheby's regarding the stone's illustrious sale reads, “We were thrilled to handle a diamond of such rarity, which now takes its place in the roster of top white diamonds to have come to the market here at Sotheby’s Asia,” said Patti Wong, chairman of Sotheby’s Asia, in a statement. “At 88.22 carats, this lucky stone now carries the name of the fortunate child whose father has chosen to give it her name. A happy moment in the journey of one of the earth’s greatest, oldest treasures.”
