Christie’s sold the 32 carat Annenberg Diamond for $7.7 million this week.

Annenberg Diamond; photo courtesy of Christie's

The sale took place in New York on Wednesday as a part of Christie’s sale entitled, ‘Jewels: the New York Sale’ & the Annenberg Diamond’.

The price paid was $240,000 per carat – a world record per carat price for a colourless diamond, according to Christie’s. The diamond fetched a price which comfortably exceeded the pre-sale estimate of $3 to $5 million.

Rahul Kadakia, Head of Jewelry at Christie’s New York, said, “…it was as if the recession never happened”.

The square emerald-cut diamond, pictured right, weighs 32.01 carats and was graded by GIA as D colour and Flawless clarity – the top colour and clarity designation for diamonds.

It was set into a platinum ring by New York jeweller David Webb, alongside two flanking pear shaped diamonds of 1.51 carats and 1.61 carats.

The Annenberg Diamond belonged to the late Lee Annenberg, art collector and philanthropist, who died in California in March this year, aged 91.

Her husband, Walter H Annenberg, was appointed US Ambassador to the Court of St James in London by President Nixon in 1969, and was also awarded an honorary KBE. Lee Annenberg was later named Chief of Protocol to President Reagan.

The Christie’s sale sold 327 out of the 385 lots offered, with a total price paid, including Buyer’s Premium, of $46.5 million (£28.2 million).

The new owner of the Annenberg Diamond is reported to be ‘Anonymous’.