Christie’s smashed the world auction record for a jewel as it sold the ‘Oppenheimer Blue’ diamond ring for $57.5 million (CHF 56.8 million) in Geneva on Wednesday.
The rectangular-cut, 14.62-carat, fancy vivid blue, VVS1 diamond went for well above Christie’s upper estimate of $46.1 million, fetching $3.9 million per carat.
The gem is named after its previous owner Sir Philip Oppenheimer, who was the chairman of De Beers Diamond Trading Company from 1975 until his death in 1995.
The previous record for a jewel sale at auction was $48.5 million for the Blue Moon at a Sotheby’s sale in the Swiss city in November.
Christie’s sold a total of $148.6 million of jewelry at the Magnificent Jewels auction May 18, beating last year’s $97.5 million for the equivalent sale.
The auction as a whole sold 100 percent by lot. Jewels from the collection of H.S.H. Gabriella Princess zu Leiningen realized $22.5 million.
Photo © Courtesy of Christie’s.
