Media workers take pictures of a black diamond weighing 88 carats in Shanghai, east China, Oct. 26, 2020. With an estimated value of 37 million US dollars, the diamond from Paris will be on display during the upcoming third China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai. (Xinhua/Fang Zhe)

A rare pink diamond derived from the biggest raw stone of the color ever found in Russia was sold for $26.6 million on Wednesday at Sotheby's in Geneva.

Dubbed "The Spirit of the Rose," the 14.83-carat stone's final selling price including commission set a world record for a purple-pink diamond.

It took just a few minutes for the bids to reach 21 million Swiss francs after the marble-sized stone came up in an online auction, with the final buyer remaining anonymous.

Sotheby's auctioneer Benoit Repellin called the diamond a "wonder of nature" and added that prices for the pink gems are going up as they become increasingly rare.

It was faceted from a 27.85-carat stone found in 2017 in Siberia. Pink diamonds are the rarest of the precious gems and the most in demand.

AFP