Egg-sized diamond sells for record $30.8m in Hong Kong
A white diamond the size and shape of a small egg has sold for a record $30.8m (£19.1m) at auction in Hong Kong.
Dubbed the "magnificent oval diamond", the stone was bought by a phone bidder at the Sotheby's sale.
The price topped the previous record of $26.7m for a white diamond sold at an auction in Geneva in May.
The stone, sold in six minutes of bidding on Monday night, was described by Sotheby's as "the largest D colour flawless diamond".
"D colour" or finest white diamonds are considered extremely rare and fetch premium prices.
The gem was discovered in a mine in an undisclosed southern African country in 2011 and weighed 299 carats before cutting.
Pre-sale estimates had valued the diamond, given the highest quality rating by the Gemological Institute of America, at $28-$35m.
The auction's other highlight was a 7.6 carat vivid blue diamond that fetched $16.1m.
Hong Kong has become a hub for jewellery auctions in recent years due to rising numbers of wealthy collectors from China and other Asian countries.