When the incredibly rare Bleu Royal gem goes up for auction on Tuesday, it is expected to become one of the most costly diamonds ever sold by Christie’s.
This month, a series of sales in Geneva will highlight the Bleu Royal as the star lot. Other pieces from movie history that will be up for auction include Marlon Brando’s self-engraved watch and Audrey Hepburn’s pearls.
The Bleu Royal, at 17.61 carats, is the largest internally flawless fancy intense blue stone that has ever been offered for auction.
Christie’s Magnificent Jewels auction is projected to bring in $35 million to $50 million for the stone.
“It’s going to be one of the top 10 jewels sold at Christie’s ever, in terms of value,” Rahul Kadakia, Christie’s international head of jewellery, told AFP.
The diamond, set in a ring, has been in a private collection for 50 years.
Kadakia said lots of modern coloured diamonds had a modified cut to enhance the colour.
In the Bleu Royal’s case, “the rough material itself was so rich that they were able to cut it into a classic brilliant faceting style,” he said.
“It checks all the boxes really top of its class.”
Exquisitely colored blue diamonds with a carat weight more than 10 are quite uncommon. In the past 13 years, just three of these stones have been up for sale since Christie’s was established in 1766.
In 2010, the Oppenheimer Blue realized $57.5 million; the Winston Blue brought in $23.8 million; and the Bulgari Blue sold for almost $15.8 million.
“This level of the jewellery market has turned into the same sort of appreciation as art,” said Kadakia.
“The market saw there’s a great scarcity of these special stones and they started making prices in the same manner as great pictures do.”
