Bleu Royal diamond, a gem at the “top of its class,” sells for nearly $44 million at Christie’s auction
Geneva — An exceptionally rare blue diamond went under the hammer in Geneva Tuesday, selling for almost $44 million, making it one of the most expensive diamonds ever sold at auction, Christie’s said. Weighing 17.61 carats, the Bleu Royal is the largest internally flawless fancy vivid blue gem ever to appear for sale in auction history.
It was the star lot in a series of luxury sales in Geneva this month, which also featured items from film history including pearls worn by Audrey Hepburn and Marlon Brando’s self-engraved watch.
The Bleu Royal had been expected to fetch between $35 million and $50 million in Christie’s Magnificent Jewels auction.
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After an intense seven-minute bidding round between three potential buyers, it was snapped up by an anonymous private collector for 39,505 million Swiss francs ($43.8 million), including taxes and fees.
“We are extremely pleased,” Max Fawcett, Christie’s head of jewelry in Geneva, told AFP shortly after the final hammer came down.
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