It happened: Sotheby’s sold a 101.38 carat diamond to a private and anonymous collector during an auction held in Hong Kong. The novelty, however, is that the 101.38-carat super diamond was bought with a cryptocurrency. It has not been communicated whether the cryptocurrency used is bitcoin or ethereum, the two required by the auction regulation. What is known, however, is the price paid, which is equivalent to 12.3 million dollars, on average with estimates.
The diamond, called 10138 The Key, is a flawless stone classified as a pear-shaped D. It is the first time that a precious stone of this value has been paid for with a virtual currency, which essentially allows an even more secure anonymity to the buyer, given that the virtual money is not deposited in a bank (and is therefore also protected from eyes of the taxman). Sotheby’s also recalled that the 101.38-carat diamond is the second largest pear-shaped diamond ever sold at auction, slightly surpassed by the flawless 101.73-carat Winston Legacy D sold in 2013.