罕见无暇巨钻即将拍卖

Flawless diamond to be auctioned

罕见无暇巨钻即将拍卖

An exceptionAlly rare 102.39-carat diamond may become one of the most expensive stones ever to sell at auction when it goes under the hammer in Hong Kong next month.

一颗非常罕见的重达102.39克拉的钻石将于下月在香港拍卖，届时它有望成为有史以来被拍卖的最昂贵的宝石之一。

Although auction house Sotheby's declined to provide a pre-sale estimate, diamonds of similar size and quality have previously attracted bids anywhere from $12 million to more than $30 million.

尽管苏富比拍卖行拒绝提供预售估价，但此前拍卖的尺寸和质量相似的钻石的成交价从1200万美元到超过3300万美元不等。

Cut from a 271-carat rough diamond discovered in 2018 in Ontario, Canada, the oval stone has achieved top rankings in each of the "four Cs" - cut, color, clarity and carat weight - by which a diamond is judged, the auction house said.

苏富比称，2018年在加拿大安大略省发现了一颗271克拉的毛坯钻石，从中切割出了这颗椭圆形钻石。在钻石的“四个C”标准中，即切工、颜色、净度和重量四个方面，这颗钻石都获得了最高等级。

It has been classified as "D color," the highest grading for a white diamond, and is considered to be internally and externally "flawless," placing it among the world's most chemically pure, transparent and symmetrical diamonds.

这颗钻石的成色为白钻中的最高等级——D级，被认为内部外部皆无瑕疵，堪称世界上化学成分最纯净、最透明、最对称的钻石之一。

It also belongs to a rare subgroup of diamonds that contain little to no nitrogen.

它也属于稀有的亚类钻石，几乎不含氮气。

Only seven D color flawless (or internally flawless) diamonds weighing more than 100 carats have ever appeared at auction before, according to Sotheby's.

苏富比称，在此之前，拍卖史上一共只出现过7颗超过100克拉的成色D级的无瑕（或内部无瑕）的钻石。

Unusually, the rare oval diamond is being offered without a reserve, meaning it will be sold regardless of the size of the highest bid.

不同寻常的是，这颗罕见的椭圆形钻石将以无底价形式拍卖，这意味着意味着不论金额多少，只要是最高出价即可拍得这枚巨钻。

Bidding will open online from Sept 15, with the sale concluding at a live auction in Hong Kong on Oct 5.

网上竞拍将从9月15日开始，10月5日在香港的现场拍卖会上落槌。