Sotheby's has once again affirmed its name as the top auction house for jewellery sales, following a world record realisation at its Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels sale in Geneva on May 13.

The world's most valuable yellow diamond - '100 carats is a magical number when it comes to diamonds'

The sale brought $141.5m, the highest total ever recorded for an auction of its kind. Top lot was the magnificent 100.09 carat Graff Vivid Yellow, which broke the record for a yellow diamond at auction with a final bid of $16.3m.

In doing so, it knocked the 110.03 carat "Lady Dalal" yellow diamond from top spot, which sold for $12.3m at Sotheby's in 2011.

"100 carats is a magical number when it comes to diamonds. With its exceptional size and a superb daffodil colour, the Graff Vivid Yellow is a truly extraordinary diamond with immense presence," commented Sotheby's David Bennett.

Further records realised in the sale include a new record price per carat for a Fancy Pink diamond at $601,228, after a ring bearing a 12.07 carat marquise-shaped stone made $7.2m.

The record for any pink diamond was set by the 59.60-carat Pink Dream at $83.1m with Sotheby's in November 2013, though it was later revealed the buyer had failed to pay and that the auction house itself had bought it.

That leaves the 24.78 carat Graff Pink as the record holder at $46.2m - another Sotheby's record.

A 25.32 carat colourless diamond ring made $6.2m, or $246,710 per carat. In doing so, it beat the record price per carat for a colourless diamond, set at $239,352 with Sotheby's Hong Kong in April 2014.

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