Editor’s Note
A rare 17.61-carat blue diamond, the “Bleu Royal,” has been sold for a record 39.5 million Swiss francs at a Geneva auction, ranking it among the top ten most expensive jewels ever sold. The winning bid came from an anonymous private collector.
A rare blue diamond has been sold for 39.5 million Swiss francs (41 million euros) at an auction in Geneva. The 17.61-carat gemstone named “Bleu Royal” is, according to a spokesperson for the auction house Christie’s, among the ten most expensive jewels ever sold at auction. The winning bid on Tuesday came from an anonymous private collector who outbid two competitors.
The “Bleu Royal,” set on a ring, is described by Christie’s as the largest internally flawless diamond of a vivid blue color ever offered at auction.
The pre-sale estimate for the approximately 13-millimeter-long and 8-millimeter-wide teardrop-shaped stone ranged between 32.8 million and 46.8 million euros. The identity of the ring’s seller was not disclosed. It was stated that the “Bleu Royal” had been part of an “important private collection” for the past 50 years.
