Skip to main content

Mystery buyer spends $12.3M on a 101-carat diamond -- and pays in cryptocurrency

 

A 101-carat diamond has become the most expensive jewel ever purchased with cryptocurrency, according to Sotheby's, the auction house behind the sale.
The pear-shaped gemstone sold Friday for the equivalent of $12.3 million, after the auctioneer announced it was accepting 
offers in bitcoin and ethereum, in addition to traditional forms of payment. Sotheby's would not disclose which of the two cryptocurrencies had been used to make the purchase.
The diamond, dubbed "The Key 10138," went to an "anonymous private collector," according to a press release.
The gem is one of only 10 diamonds of its size and quality to appear at auction.

In a press statement, Sotheby's deputy chairman for jewelery in Asia, Wenhao Yu, said the sale had attracted "new clients well beyond the traditional pool of collectors," adding cryptocurrency purchases appealed to a "digitally savvy generation."

Remarkably rare in its own right, the stone is the second largest pear-shaped diamond ever to come to market, according to Sotheby's.
It is classified as a "D color" diamond, the highest such grade awarded to white diamonds, meaning it appears colorless to the naked eye. It is also verified as internally and externally "flawless," meaning it is completely clear with no visible blemishes. It is one of only 10 diamonds of its quality weighing over 100 carats ever to appear at auction.
A number of auction houses have begun welcoming cryptocurrencies for big-ticket items, which have included paintings and NFTs -- the blockchain-backed tokens increasingly used to transfer ownership of digital artworks and collectibles.
The sale took place at Sotheby's Hong Kong, although bids were accepted from around the world.

Earlier this year, Sotheby's opened the sale of Banksy's "Love is in the Air" to payment via bitcoin and ethereum. The famed artwork, which depicts a masked man throwing a bouquet of flowers like a Molotov cocktail, eventually sold for $12.9 million, though the auction house did not reveal whether they buyer eventually used a cryptocurrency.
In June, Christie's also announced that it was accepting bitcoin and ethereum for an untitled Keith Haring work. The painting, which depicts a figure with a computer for a head, sold for £4.3 million (nearly $6 million) though, again, the auctioneer did not disclose the payment method.
Source: cnn.com

Comments

Post a Comment

Contact us

Name

Email *

Message *

Popular posts from this blog

For my haters

₿  This is for people who told me to not put my money in Bitcoin 10 years ago 😂 RIP doubters and haters. #Bitcoin 💀 pic.twitter.com/sbuDljJtMv — Carl ₿ MENGER ⚡️🇸🇻 (@CarlBMenger) May 13, 2025
Post a Comment
Read more

Coinbase to Require Recipient Information for Crypto Transfers From Users in Canada, Singapore and Japan

  Customers in those countries who send crypto outside their Coinbase accounts must provide recipients’ names, addresses and in some cases, additional information, as of early April. Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase Global (COIN) will soon require its customers in Canada, Japan and Singapore who send cryptocurrency to another financial institution or exchange to provide the name, address and in the case of Japan, the destination wallet of the recipient. Coinbase has been sending notices to its customers in those countries that the changes will take effect in early April in order to comply with local travel rules in those places. Coinbase didn't immediately respond to requests for additional comment on the moves, but confirmed that they were taking place. The move  does not seem to be going over well  with Coinbase customers in those countries, who value the anonymity of transactions using cryptocurrency. According to a  FAQ provided by Coinbase , for Canadian users, ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Jupiter plugin on your site

 Jupiter launches Jupiter Plugin , a customizable plugin that doesn't require RPC. PANews reported on August 7th that Jupiter announced the launch of the Jupiter Plugin.  This is an open-source, lightweight, plug-and-play version of Jupiter that allows users to seamlessly integrate end-to-end swap functionality into their applications with minimal effort.  Users can deploy it by simply adding a few lines of code.  Seamless Integration Embed Jupiter's Swap functionality directly into your application without redirection.  Multiple display options: Choose between integrated, widget or modal display modes.  Customizable options: Configure the exchange form to suit your application needs.  No RPC: Plugins can be integrated without any RPC, Ultra is responsible for handling transaction sending, wallet balance and token information.  Ultra Mode: Access all Ultra Mode features. Enjoy!
Post a Comment
Read more