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The largest internally flawless fancy vivid blue diamond to ever hit the auction block has been sold for $US43.8 million ($AU68.39 million). | Source: CNN

Auction blockbuster: Blue diamond stuns collectors

Posted November 13, 2023 | By Samuel Ord

The largest internally flawless fancy vivid blue diamond to ever hit the auction block has been sold for $US43.8 million ($AU68.39 million).

Known as the ‘Bleu Royal’, the pear-shaped 17.61-carat is set in a ring with two white diamonds and appeared at Christie’s in Geneva after spending the past 50 years in a private collection.

Max Fawcett, Head of Christie’s jewellery

"It's clear that the market is still very strong in certain areas. There's a great market out there for rare things, and there are still collectors looking for the very best."

Max Fawcett, Christie’s

Before the auction, Christie’s showcased the diamond in Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei, and New York. Max Fawcett, head of Christie’s jewellery department in Geneva, said these displays generated buzz among collectors.

“We’re extremely delighted with that result. It really ticked all the boxes, which is why we managed to excite collectors all around the world,” he told Reuters.

"It's clear that the market is still very strong in certain areas. There's a great market out there for rare things, and there are still collectors looking for the very best."

The record return for a fancy colour blue diamond at auction remains with two stones – the 15.10-carat De Beers Blue, which was sold at Sotheby’s in 2022, and the 14.6-carat Oppenheimer Blue, which was sold in Geneva in 2016.

In October, Sotheby's Hong Kong held an auction for the 11.28-carat Infinite Blue, which fell short of pre-sale expectations and returned $US25.3 million ($AU39.78 million).