Blue Diamond Sells for Record $58 Million at Christie’s
- Oppenheimer Blue surpasses Blue Moon as most expensive gem
- Private collector wins jewel after 25-minute bidding war
Largest Ever Blue Diamond Up for Auction for $45 Million
A blue diamond set a record price for any jewel in auction when it went under the hammer for $58 million in a Christie’s sale in Geneva.
The Oppenheimer Blue, at 14.62 carats, was estimated to be worth as much as $46 million. The stone now belongs to a private collector after a 25-minute battle between bidders on three continents, Christie’s said late Wednesday after the sale. The gem is named after its previous owner, Sir Philip Oppenheimer, whose family controlled De Beers for 80 years before selling out.