Rare blue diamond sold for $21.5 million in Geneva
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Rare blue diamond sold for $21.5 million in Geneva
A 10.03 carat blue diamond has sold at auction in Geneva for $21.5 million (CHF18 million).
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The “Mediterranean Blue”, which was estimated to be worth $20 million, “attracted enormous interest” at the sale, Sotheby’s said.
But Tobias Kormind, director of 77 Diamonds, Europe’s largest online jeweller, said the sale was “less impressive” than expected.
“The diamond exceeded its $20 million estimate, which suggests significant interest. But general uncertainty, including trade tensions between the US and China, may have dampened bidder confidence,” he observed.
A battle between two bidders started at CHF9 million and lasted “almost three minutes”.
A private American collector won the precious stone, the auction house said, without identifying the bidder.
Flagship stone
“This is undoubtedly the flagship stone of the season and ranks among the best blue diamonds we have sold,” said Quig Bruning, head of Sotheby’s North America, Europe and Middle East jewellery department.
The diamond was recently discovered in the legendary Cullinan mine in South Africa. It was then unveiled at the beginning of April in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.
“Blue diamonds are at the top of the pyramid of rarity”, said Bruning.
According to Sotheby’s, “finding a blue diamond is an incredibly rare event”.
Translated from French by DeepL/mga
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