The winning bid, which surpassed its high estimate of $48 million, came from an anonymous buyer by telephone.
The world's largest blue diamond ever to come to auction has sold for 450,925,000 HKD, or $57.5 million.
Named"The De Beers Cullinan Blue," the massive 15.10-carat step-cut gem sold at Sotheby's in Hong Kong after an eight-minute bidding war among four hopeful buyers, according to Sotheby's. The winning bid, which surpassed its high estimate of $48 million, came fromin South Africa's Cullinan mine in 2021, and it has attained the highest rankings that colored diamonds are judged by.
According to a statement from Sotheby's, the Gemological Institute of America categorized the jewel as"fancy vivid blue" -- the top color grading, which has been awarded to no more than 1% of blue diamonds submitted to the organization.Describing the diamond as"exceptionally rare," the Sotheby's statement added that only five gems over 10 carats have ever appeared at auction.
With a final price of $57,471,960, The De Beers Cullinan Blue just narrowly missed setting the record for the most expensive blue diamond ever to sell at auction. That title is still held by the 14.62-carat"Oppenheimer Blue," which sold in 2016 with a final price of $57,541,779, a difference of just under $70,000.
Patti Wong, chairman of Sotheby's Asia, said in a statement:"It is truly a once-in-a-generation stone, and quite simply the greatest blue diamond of its size I have ever seen."
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