A rare blue diamond fetched 39.5 million Swiss francs (41 million euros) at an auction in Geneva. According to a spokeswoman for Christie’s auction house, the 17.61-carat gemstone called “Bleu Royal” is one of the ten most expensive jewels ever auctioned. An anonymous private collector was awarded the contract on Tuesday, beating out two other bidders.
According to Christie’s, the “Bleu Royal” set on a ring is the largest flawless, bright blue diamond ever offered at auction. The estimated value of the teardrop-shaped stone, which was approximately 13 millimeters long and 8 millimeters wide, was between 32.8 million and 46.8 million euros. It was not revealed who sold the ring. The “Bleu Royal” has been part of an “important private collection” for the past 50 years, it said.
