Pink diamond sells for $49.9m

The 11.15-carat Williamson Pink Star diamond 
The 11.15-carat Williamson Pink Star diamond 

An 11.15 carat pink diamond has been sold for $49.9m in Hong Kong, setting a world record for the highest price per carat for a diamond sold at auction.

Auctioned on Friday by Sotheby’s Hong Kong, the Williamson Pink Star diamond was originally estimated at $21m.

The gem draws its name from two legendary pink diamonds.

The first is the 23.60 carat Williamson diamond which was presented to the late British Queen Elizabeth II as a wedding gift in 1947.

The second is the 59.60 carat Pink Star diamond that sold for a record $71.2m at auction in 2017.

The Williamson Pink Star is the second largest pink diamond to appear at auction.

Pink diamonds are among the rarest and most valuable of the coloured diamonds.