Geneva: A huge diamond unearthed in Botswana commanded an unearthly price of $26.7 million from Christie's auction house on Wednesday amid the spring ritual of well-heeled bidders flocking or phoning in to Geneva's luxury sales. The pear-shaped gem accounted for more than a quarter of the $102 million in sales rung up by Christie's Wednesday night, a night after Sotheby's had $78 million in sales.
"A perfect diamond commands a perfect price," Christie's trumpeted on Twitter of the record sale price for the largest D-color flawless diamond ever offered at auction - a whopping 101.73 carats that took 21 months to polish. Jewellery, watches and other luxury items are sold every spring by the big auction houses at Geneva's elegant lakefront hotels - seemingly a world away from some European countries whose economies are shrinking as their governments enact often tough budget austerity measures to get a handle on their debts.
Sotheby's auction featured a diamond jewellery collection belonging to Italian screen actress Gina Lollobrigida that fetched $4.9 million, some of which she plans to donate to stem cell research. The auction house said eight bidders fought for Lollobrigida's pair of diamond and natural pearl earrings, which finally sold for more than $2.3 million and set a new auction record for such an item.
The 85-year-old actress, who starred opposite Humphrey Bogart, Frank Sinatra and other top actors in the 1950s and 1960s, said she was selling the jewellery partly to fund an international hospital for stem
09:40 AM, May 16, 2013
Washington: Expressing deep concern over the recent surge in attacks on Sri Lankan media organisations, the US on Tuesday called on the country to ensure freedom of press. "The US calls on Sri Lankan authorities to demonstrate their commitment to the rule of law and freedom of expression by conducting thorough investigations into all attacks and killings of journalists and bringing perpetrators to justice," State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell, told...
07:20 AM, May 01, 2013
A day after India voted in favour of the UN resolution on war crimes in Sri Lanka, sources said diplomatic ties between the two neighbouring countries are beginning to crackdown. On Thursday, Sri Lanka announced plans to partially take over an oil storage depot from the Indian Oil Company's Sri Lankan arm. ...
07:29 AM, Mar 22, 2013
The US resolution against Sri Lanka over alleged human rights violations has been passed at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva. While 25 countries including India voted in favour of the resolution, 13 countries voted against it and eight countries abstained from voting. ...
04:14 PM, Mar 21, 2013
The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) debate has begun on the US resolution on Sri Lanka in Geneva. It was the first item listed for discussion at the UNHRC. External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid has said that India will vote in favour of the resolution against Sri Lanka. ...
03:18 PM, Mar 21, 2013
Sri Lankan opposition parties on Monday called for the formation of an all party committee to prevent an anti-Lanka resolution being passed at the UN human rights body. "We have to think of ways to escape this (resolution). We will tell the government to call an all party meeting and give a time frame to implement the LLRC recommendations," Ranil Wickremesinghe, the main opposition leader told reporters. ...
09:00 PM, Mar 18, 2013
The DMK should withdraw its support to the UPA Government, the BJP said on Sunday as it attacked the Centre for ignoring the plight of Tamils in Sri Lanka. "DMK is part of the Government today and was part of the UPA when the 'atrocities' were being committed against Tamils in Sri Lanka. DMK needs to withdraw support from the UPA. The UPA has no right to remain in power...
07:55 PM, Mar 17, 2013
After DMK Chief Karunanidhi threatened to pull out of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government over the Sri lankan Tamils issue, Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid said no decision will be taken before consulting the DMK. India has asked Sri Lanka to investigate allegations of human rights violations and incidents involving loss of human life during the final stages of the conflict. ...
05:28 PM, Mar 17, 2013
The International Geneva Motor Show is an annual auto show which is held in March in the Swiss city of Geneva. The 83rd edition of the motor show kicked off with all the major automobile manufacturers around the world showcasing their latest cars and concepts. ...
11:29 PM, Mar 16, 2013
Days before a US-sponsored resolution will be taken up against Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council, Colombo accused Washington of committing human rights abuses. ...
03:50 PM, Mar 11, 2013
Poised to be a production crossover, the SIV-1 has aggressive bumpers and a high waistline. ...
02:48 PM, Mar 08, 2013
Amid indications that India will vote against Sri Lanka at the UNHRC in Geneva, Lankan envoy Prasad Kariyawasam has told CNN-IBN that it won't set back ties between the two countries. ...
03:49 PM, Mar 06, 2013
Lamborghini's run of the new Veneno is sold out - though it only made three. ...
02:22 PM, Mar 06, 2013
Audi will be unleashing its 300PS S3 Sportback at the 2013 Geneva Auto Show. ...
11:50 AM, Feb 16, 2013
"Captain Saurabh Kalia and his platoon of six soldiers were brutally tortured during Kargil encounter and this is a serious violation of the Geneva conventions which govern the rules of war between two civilised nations," said Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar, who has, along with Capt Kalia's father, chosen to approach United Nations directly to seek investigation of the matter. ...
05:56 PM, Dec 11, 2012
New Delhi: The Income Tax department has decided to begin prosecution action against those having "substantial" amounts in their bank accounts in HSBC's Geneva branch. The department has now written to the Finance Ministry to suggest a benchmark for funds held on the basis of which the I-T department can initiate legal action for tax evasion and tax theft. Top sources said a benchmark of about Rs 5 crore is...
03:53 PM, Nov 28, 2012
New Delhi: The Income Tax department, probing the secret list of account holders in the Geneva branch of HSBC bank, has approached Swiss revenue authorities for banking data of certain individuals after investigations showed some of them reportedly had other accounts under fictitious names. The department, which approached the Finance Ministry and the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) in this regard recently, has initiated the step in order to...
11:30 AM, Nov 18, 2012
