Rare Blue Diamond Fetches Over $40 Million at Christie's Auction

A rare blue diamond recently sold for more than $40 million at a Christie's auction in Geneva. The 17.61 carat diamond, known as Bleu Royal, was pear-shaped and set in a ring. This diamond holds the title of being the largest internally flawless fancy vivid blue gem ever to be sold at auction. It was previously part of a private collection for 50 years and had never appeared at an auction before. Christie's described it as one of the rarest diamonds to have ever been found. In the history of Christie's auctions, only three fancy vivid blue diamonds over 10 carats have been sold, in 2010, 2014, and 2016. The most expensive of these was the Oppenheimer Blue, which was sold for over $57 million in 2016. Max Fawcett, Christie's head of jewelry in Geneva, expressed immense satisfaction with the sale, stating that it was the most expensive jewelry item sold in 2023 by any auction house worldwide. In addition to this, a Rolex watch worn by Marlon Brando in the film Apocalypse Now was sold for about $5 million, and Christie's is also hosting an online sale of a pearl necklace worn by Audrey Hepburn in the final scene of the film Roman Holiday.