The Bleu Royal, a 17.61 ct. internally flawless fancy vivid blue diamond, sold for 39.5 million Swiss francs, or about $44 million, at Christie’s Magnificent Jewels sale in Geneva on Nov. 7.
That amounts to around $2.5 million per carat, and lands in the high range of the gem’s presale estimate of $35 million to $50 million.
But it’s less than other celebrated—and smaller—blue diamonds have earned at auction, such as the 12.03 ct. Blue Moon, which fetched $47.5 million in November 2015, and the 14.62 ct. Oppenheimer Blue, which sold for $57.5 million six months later. (Both those sales came at a time when auction market was regularly setting records.)
The pear-shape type IIb Bleu Royal was billed by Christie’s as the “largest internally flawless fancy vivid blue diamond to appear at auction.” It was sold as part of a ring that also has a 3.12 ct. pear brilliant-cut diamond and 3.07 ct. pear modified brilliant-cut diamond. The Bleu Royal had been held by an unnamed private collector for the past 50 years, Christie’s says.
(Photo courtesy of Christie’s)
