Rare ‘Sky Blue’ diamond goes under hammer in Geneva
The emerald-cut 8.01-carat Sky Blue Diamond is set in a Cartier ring
Keystone
A rare blue diamond has been sold for CHF17.1 million ($17.1 million) at a Sotheby’s auction in Geneva. There is strong demand for coloured diamonds, which have reached high prices at jewel sales in the Swiss city this week.
This content was published on
2 minutes
swissinfo.ch with agencies
The emerald-cut 8.01-carat Sky Blue Diamond, set in a Cartier ring, was sold on Wednesday for a third more than it fetched in 2012 ($12.8 million), said Sotheby’s international jewellery division director David Bennett.
It had been estimated at $15-25 million. The stone was graded fancy vivid blue, the highest possible colour grading, awarded to barely 1% of blue diamonds submitted to the Gemmological Institute of America (GIA), according to Sotheby’s.
The world record for any jewel sold at auction is for the Oppenheimer Blue, a 14.62-carat blue diamond, sold by Christie’s in May for CHF57.54 million.
Bennet told reporters after the sale that demand for coloured diamonds was still “very healthy”.
“People who want the rarest and the most beautiful are seeking out these rare treasures,” he said.
Pear-shaped
Other Sotheby sales included a step-cut fancy intense pink diamond weighing 17.07 carats, set in a ring, sold to London-based jeweller Graff Diamonds for CHF20.8 million.
Graff also bought a fancy intense pink diamond ring weighing 13.20 carats for CHF16.2 million.
At Christie’s on Tuesday, a pear-shaped pink diamond sold for CHF18.1 million.
However, several historic lots failed to sell. These included a diamond necklace from the Russian crown jewels, commissioned by Catherine the Great (1729-1796), estimated at $3-5 million.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here. Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Geneva auction sees record diamond sales
This content was published on
The sales were part of a record-breaking $175 million jewelry auction at Sotheby’s in Geneva on Tuesday. Nicknamed the Oppenheimer Blue, the blue jewel weighs in at 14.62 carats and was named after its previous owner, Sir Philip Oppenheimer. His family controlled the De Beers jewel company for 80 years. The previous record blue diamond…
This content was published on
The sale of the ‘Blue Moon’ diamond set a new record for any jewel sold at auction according to Sotheby’s, which arranged the sale. The 12.03-carat gem was so named because of its rarity, with reference to the phrase ‘once in a blue moon’. The previous top price for a rare diamond sold at auction…
This content was published on
Rare 1980s timepieces from Swatch’s heyday were sold at a Geneva auction on Tuesday for CHF1.3 million ($1.3 million). The collection retraces the brand’s early creative period that helped save the Swiss watchmaking industry.
This content was published on
The “Pink Star”, a flawless 59.60-carat pink diamond, is the largest in its class ever graded by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), with the second biggest less than half its size. Set on a ring, it measures 2.69 by 2.06 centimetres and weighs 11.92 grams. The huge oval-cut rock was sold as part of Sotheby’s “Magnificent Jewels”…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here. Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.