The 10.57-carat stone is being marketed as the most valuable purplish-pink diamond ever brought to auction, with the highest ever pre-auction price per carat estimate, according to Sotheby’s.

“Its refined lines combined with the intensity of its colour earn it a place as one of the world’s most extraordinary gems,” Tom Moses, executive vice president and chief laboratory and research officer at the Gemological Institute of America said of the cushion-cut diamond.

According to Sotheby’s, the stone, which was mined in Botswana, is “comparable to ultimate masterpieces of art – far rarer than a Magritte or a Warhol,” thanks to its clarity and lack of imperfections.

Pink diamonds are among the rarest and most sought-after gems in the world and considered a major draw for investors.

The record for highest-ever auction price for such a stone is held by the CTF Pink Star, which was sold for US$71.2 million in Hong Kong in 2017.

The Williamson Pink Star diamond, which sold for US$57.7 million in 2022, also in Hong Kong, holds the record for the highest price per carat, at nearly US$5.2 million.