Damien Hirst unveils shocking £50m diamond-studded skull

They are 8,601 of the most perfect diamonds money can buy.

And as befits an artist obsessed by death, Damien Hirst has set them in an 18th century skull. Despite the £50 million price tag, potential buyers are already registering interest in purchasing the work entitled For The Love Of God.

The rest of us must queue for a free ticket to view it at the White Cube gallery in Mayfair and absorb the dazzle of the biggest jewellery commission in Britain in a century.

With his dealer Jay Jopling splitting the £12 million cost of the raw materials, Hirst began buying flawless, ethically-sourced diamonds for the project.

"You kind of think it might be a gross idea, but when you look at it, it's calm. To see something of such beauty after the end, you hope it would give people hope."