Christie's Geneva witnessed the remarkable sale of the Bleu Royal Diamond on Tuesday, a ring adorned with a stunning 17.61-carat blue diamond. The auction concluded with a staggering $44 million price tag, making it the most expensive jewel auctioned in 2023.
The pear-shaped Bleu Royal not only claimed the title of the most valuable auctioned jewel of the year but also stands as the largest internally flawless fancy-vivid-blue diamond ever presented at auction. After four decades within a private collection, the ring made its debut at the Magnificent Jewels event, captivating bidders for seven intense minutes, as reported by Christie's on Wednesday. The final sale price reached the upper end of its presale estimate, ranging from $35 million to $50 million.
The overall success of the Geneva auction extended beyond the Bleu Royal, accumulating a total of $77.7 million. Participants from 37 countries engaged in the event, with an impressive 93% of the items finding eager buyers.
Preceding this dazzling jewelry auction, Christie's held a watch sale on Monday that generated $62 million.
Currently underway is Christie's Jewels Online: The Geneva Edit sale, commencing last week and scheduled to conclude on November 16.
