A vivid blue fancy colour diamond is expected to headline the upcoming Geneva jewellery auction at Christie’s.
The pear-shaped 17.61-carat ‘Bleu Royal’ diamond will enter the auction with a high estimate of $US50 million ($AU77.61 million).
The auction is scheduled for 7 November. In a statement, international head of jewellery, Rahul Kadakia, said it is the largest internally flawless blue diamond to appear at auction.
“This is a true miracle of nature,” Kadakia said.
“Over our 257-year-long history, Christie’s has had the privilege of offering the world’s rarest gemstones at auction, and Bleu Royal continues this tradition.”
The diamond has been in a private collection for the past 50 years. Christie’s will exhibit the diamond in Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei, and New York before the auction in Geneva.
Christie’s has only previously auctioned three blue diamonds larger than 10 carats: the 10.95-carat Bulgari Blue, the 13.22-carat Winston Blue, and the 14.62-carat Oppenheimer Blue.
The 11.28-carat Infinite Blue diamond will be auctioned at Sotheby’s in Hong Kong on 5 October, in a sale expected to return as much as $US37 million ($AU57 million).
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