World's largest pear-shaped 'white' diamond sells for 拢17.7m!

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, The diamond is the world's largest pear-shaped gem

The world's largest pear-shaped white diamond has sold for 拢17.7m!

It was sold at Christie's auction house in Geneva in Switzerland, and was bought by a private collector.

It's been nicknamed 'The Rock' and experts had hoped that it would smash the world record for a white diamond, but it didn't quite make the cut.

Diamonds are weighed in units called carats, and whilst the previous auction record for the largest white diamond was a 163.41 carat gem - this diamond weighs a huge 228.31 carats!

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, The diamond is larger than a golf ball!

The giant diamond was discovered in South Africa more than 20 years ago.

Even though it's called a 'white' diamond - the gem is in fact colourless!

The diamond had gone on show in Dubai and travelled around the world to be displayed in other cities too including Taipei and New York.

The current record for the most expensive white diamond stands at 拢25.5million and was sold in 2017.