Editor’s Note
A 9.75-carat blue diamond, once owned by American billionaire widow Rachel Mellon, has shattered auction records, selling for $32.6 million at Sotheby’s—more than double its pre-sale estimate.
A rare blue diamond once owned by an American billionaire widow has set a new all-time high price at auction.
On the 20th (local time), Sotheby’s auction house in the United States announced that “The Fancy Vivid Blue diamond, weighing 9.75 carats, was sold for $32.6 million (approximately 36.3 billion won), more than double its pre-sale estimate.”
This diamond, which set the record for the highest price ever paid for a blue diamond, was owned by Rachel Mellon, the widow of the world-renowned billionaire Paul Mellon (1907–1999). It was put up for sale by her foundation following her passing in March, and its rarity combined with the fame of its previous owner contributed to the exceptionally high selling price.
Gary Schuler, head of Sotheby’s jewelry department, stated:
He added:
He further noted:
The previous record for the highest price ever paid for a blue diamond was held by the ‘Wittelsbach-Graff’ diamond, purchased by the famous British jeweler Laurence Graff in 2008 for $24.3 million.