The record didn’t happen – Style

The autumn trading session of Magnificent Jewels took place in Geneva – the most important jewelry sales are held twice a year: in May and November. The most significant objects in terms of provenance and value of stones are reserved for them. This time, too, the auction was completed by a ring with a blue Bleu Royal diamond weighing 17.61 carats – the largest in the history of the auction. In addition to its outstanding size, the ideal pear-shaped stone demonstrates the highest gemological characteristics: impeccable purity (Internally Flawless) and a rich fantasy shade of Fancy Vivid Blue. “A true miracle of nature,” is how Raoul Kadakia, international head of Christie’s jewelry department, described the diamond. According to the auction house, the gem has been in one private collection for the last half century and was put up for auction for the first time. Blue diamonds, which appear due to the presence of boron atoms in the crystal lattice, are themselves an incredibly rare find, especially such large and pure specimens as Bleu Royal. In the more than 250-year history of Christie’s, only three cut blue diamonds weighing over 10 carats have been put up for auction.

And yet the record did not happen. The ring with the largest blue diamond, previously estimated at $35 – $50 million, was sold for 39.5 million Swiss francs, which is just under $44 million. Several bidders competed for the lot online and by telephone; the name of the new owner was not disclosed. The Bleu Royal is now one of the ten most expensive jewels sold at Christie’s, but the record price for blue diamonds still belongs to Oppenheimer’s Blue: an emerald-cut stone that once belonged to Sir Philip Oppenheimer, the head of De Beers, sold for $57.5 million at Christie’s auction in May 2016. The unit value of Oppenheimer Blue (i.e. the price per carat) was $3.9 million. In comparison with these figures, Bleu Royal shows a modest $2.5 million per carat.