That price works out to a $225,269 a carat.
Petra Diamonds, which found the gem at its Cullinan mine in South Africa, sold it to a partnership comprising an anonymous polisher, which owns 85 percent, and Petra, which owns the rest.
Given the sky-high expectations, one local newspaper dubbed it “a bit of a bargain” for its buyer. When its discovery was first announced, some analysts predicted it could go for close to $40 million, which would set a new benchmark for the highest recorded price for a piece of rough. (The current record is held by Petra, which sold a 507 ct. white stone for $35.3 million in February 2010.)