Rare Blue Diamond Sells for Over $40 Million in Geneva Auction
An exceptionally rare blue diamond, known as the Bleu Royal, was sold at auction in Geneva for more than $40 million, making it one of the most expensive diamonds ever sold, according to Christie’s.
Weighing 17.61 carats, the Bleu Royal is the largest internally flawless fancy vivid blue gem to ever appear in an auction.
This remarkable diamond was part of a series of luxury sales in Geneva that included items from movie history, such as pearls worn by Audrey Hepburn and Marlon Brando’s self-engraved watch.
During a seven-minute bidding round, the Bleu Royal was acquired by an anonymous private collector for 39.505 million Swiss francs (approximately $43.8 million), including tax and fees.
This purchase price equates to nearly $2.5 million per carat, marking it as the most expensive jewelry lot sold in 2023 and placing it in the top 10 most expensive lots ever sold in terms of jewelry.
Fancy vivid blue diamonds weighing more than 10 carats are exceptionally rare, and since Christie’s founding in 1766, only three such stones have appeared for sale, with the Bleu Royal being the latest.
Despite its hefty price tag, it remains outpaced by the Oppenheimer Blue, which Christie’s sold for $57.5 million in 2016.
Christie’s will continue with an online jewelry sale featuring Audrey Hepburn’s pearl necklace worn in the 1953 film “Roman Holiday.”
The Sotheby’s auction house is also hosting a Magnificent Jewels sale in Geneva, with several precious gems set to go under the hammer, along with a collection of imperial and royal jewels.
The sale of the Bleu Royal reinforces the enduring allure and astronomical prices commanded by rare and stunning diamonds in the world of high-end jewelry auctions.
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