An exceptionally rare blue diamond sold for more than $40 million on November 7, becoming one of the most expensive diamonds ever auctioned, auction house Christie's said.
The 17.61-carat Bleu Royal diamond is the largest flawless blue diamond ever sold at auction.
Max Fawcett, head of jewellery at Christie’s in Geneva, said the diamond was unique because of its unaltered deep blue colour and brilliant pear shape. “It really ticks all the boxes, which is why we are trying to attract collectors from all over the world , from the Far East to the United States,” he said.
Previously, the Bleu Royal diamond was expected to sell for between $35 and $50 million at Christie's Magnificent Jewels auction.
After a seven-minute bidding round between three potential buyers, the rare diamond was eventually sold to an anonymous private collector for 39.505 million Swiss francs ($43.8 million), including taxes and fees.
Mr. Max Fawcett emphasized that with a price of nearly 2.5 million USD/carat, this has become the most expensive jewelry auction in the world this year. In history, this is the 10th most expensive jewelry auction.
Fancy blue diamonds weighing more than 10 carats are extremely rare. Since Christie’s was founded in 1766, only three have been sold in the past 13 years. One of them, the Oppenheimer Blur, sold for $57.5 million in 2016, and it is the only diamond Christie’s has sold for more than the Bleu Royal.
In another auction on November 6, Christie's sold the Rolex wristwatch worn by Marlon Brando in the 1979 film Apocalypse Now for more than 4.5 million Swiss francs (nearly $5 million). The actor had his signature engraved on the back to prevent it from falling during filming. The watch had been auctioned for 2 million Swiss francs two years earlier.
Minh Hoa (reported by Vietnam+, Tien Phong)
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