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Geneva - Auction house Sotheby's said on Tuesday it has been forced to buy back a flawless, near-60 carat pink diamond it sold last November after the buyer defaulted on the record $83m payment.
New York diamond cutter Isaac Wolf had outbid rivals for the gemstone, called the "Pink Star", in the Geneva auction conducted by the company.
But, "as a result subsequent buyer default," Sotheby's was forced under its auction contract to buy back the diamond, which is 59.60 carats. It listed its "inventory" value as $72m.
"Sotheby's has reserved all of its rights and remedies against the defaulting purchaser," it said in a statement.
The auction house gave no details about the identity of the seller of the diamond.
The Pink Star was discovered in a diamond mine in Africa by mining company De Beers in 1999.
Sotheby's still holds the world record price for a diamond sale, even after the default.
In November 2010 the auction house sold another pink diamond - the 24.78-carat "Graff Pink" - for $46m in another auction in Geneva.
