The largest Internally Flawless Fancy Vivid Blue diamond ever to go under the hammer was sold on November 7 for CHF 39,505,000 ($43.8 million).
Christened “Bleu Royal,” the 17.61-carat Type IIb pear brilliant-cut diamond was presented by Christie’s Geneva with an estimated value ranging between $35 million and $50 million. This exceptional blue diamond, which had been part of a private collection for the past 50 years, is set in a ring with two white diamonds (both Type IIa D / IF, 3.12-cts and 3.07-cts).
Max Fawcett, the head of Christie’s jewelry department in Geneva, commented: “It really ticked all the boxes, which is why we managed to excite collectors all around the world, all the way from the Far East, also to America. We’re extremely delighted with the result.”
While the Bleu Royal achieved an impressive sales figure, it did not surpass the record price held jointly by two other blue diamonds. The 15.10-carat De Beers Blue fetched $57.5 million at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in April 2022, and the 14.6-carat Oppenheimer Blue was sold at Christie’s Geneva in May 2016 for the same amount.
BRON: Israeli Diamond News 14-11-2023
