Biggest Diamond in More Than Century Fails to Sell in London
- Bid of $61 million didn’t meet minimum price set for auction
- 1,109-carat diamond was unearthed at Lucara mine in Botswana
The Lesedi la Rona diamond.
Photographer: Donald Bowers/Getty Images for Sotheby'sThe price tag for the biggest diamond found in more than 100 years proved too rich for even the deepest wallets at an auction in London.
The 1,109-carat diamond that’s called Lesedi la Rona, or “our light” in the Tswana language spoken in Botswana where it was found, was expected to sell for about $86 million, based on a diamond sale in May. That would have made it the most expensive rough gem on record. Instead, the highest bid of $61 million didn’t clear the so-called reserve price at a Sotheby’s auction on Wednesday night, leaving it unsold.