Northumberland diamond worth £2m sold to private buyer

The 34-carat diamond had been kept in a box alongside items of costume jewellery

A gemstone found by a woman during a home clearout which turned out to be a £2m, 34-carat diamond has been sold to a mystery private buyer.

The woman in her 70s had been sorting out her Northumberland home and took it to be valued last month, along with other items from car boot sales.

Auctioneer Mark Lane said its true worth had come as a "huge shock".

The gem was due to be auctioned on Tuesday but was sold two weeks ago for an undisclosed price, it has emerged.

The diamond has been assessed and certified by experts in Europe

Mr Lane, of Featonby's Auctioneers in North Shields, North Tyneside, had said he initially thought it was a cubic zirconia, a synthetic diamond lookalike, and it had sat on his desk for two or three days until he used a diamond tester machine.

"We then sent it off to our partners in London before it was certified by experts in Antwerp, Belgium, who confirmed it is 34 carat," he said.

The carat measurement relates to the weight of the stone, whereby heavier stones have a higher carat and higher value.

Mr Lane said the stone's original owner, who wanted to remain anonymous, could not recall where or when she acquired it.

He added the new owner had also requested anonymity over the sale.

Auctioneer Mark Lane said he was shocked by the discovery