At Sotheby’s in Hong Kong, the De Beers Cullinan blue diamond was auctioned for HK$450.9 million (R911 million).
The 15.1 carat fancy vivid blue diamond was sold to an unidentified buyer on Wednesday evening. The step-cut diamond, discovered at the Cullinan mine in South Africa, is the world’s largest vivid blue diamond. Bidders pushed the price up to HK$390 million, with auction premiums making up the difference.
Fancy colored diamonds, which are rarer than colorless diamonds, have set numerous records in recent years. Diamonds come in a variety of colors, but pink and blue are the most popular. According to the Gemological Institute of America, blue diamonds are among the rarest and are discovered four times deeper than most diamonds.
The Oppenheimer Blue was sold for CHF56.8 million ($59 million) in 2016 at Christie’s in Geneva. In Geneva, Sotheby’s sold a blue diamond for more than $4 million per carat.
