Hirst had the glittering piece, which was modeled on a real skull, built from 32 platinum plates and 8,601 diamonds, using a hand laser to cut thousands of tiny diamond settings.
The work has a 52-carat pink diamond at its center and is studded with 14 pear-shaped diamonds.
Hirst said the piece, called “For the Love of God,” was meant to highlight the transience of human existence. Critics called the work flamboyant and showy, but that was business as usual for Hirst, who has consistently courted controversy — and huge sums of cash.
