Today Sotheby's is holding its Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels sale in Geneva, Switzerland. Among the diamonds offered for sale is the recently discovered and already famous 'Blue Moon' diamond. The Telegraph reports:
This magnificent 12.03-carat Internally Flawless, Fancy Vivid Blue diamond, dubbed the Blue Moon, has gained a lot of attention. The cushion brilliant-cut diamond is an amazing, intense blue colour with no hint of grey which is normally the case with blue diamonds.
(Image courtesy of Sothebys - click it for a larger view.)
So far the world record auction price for a diamond and any jewel is the Graff Pink, which sold for $46,158,674 in November 2010. The Blue Moon is being auctioned with a high estimate of $55 million, so this is a wonderful opportunity to watch the sale live on the Sotheby’s website and possibly witness history being made.
There's more at the link.
In its sale catalogue, Sotheby's adds:
Blue diamonds shine among nature’s most rare and valuable gems. For centuries, their unique sparkle and intriguing form have captivated gemmologists, historians, and spectators worldwide. Though any diamond with natural blue colouration is a rare discovery, some are so exceptional that they emerge only once in a lifetime. The Blue Moon Diamond, a 12.03 carat gem of Fancy Vivid Blue colour and Internally Flawless clarity, is one of those remarkable occurrences.
Greg Stephenson, Diamond Marketing Manager for Petra Diamonds, recalls the moment he first saw the exceptional rough diamond: “I opened the canister in which it was shipped and it fell on to my work pad. I sat there for about a minute just looking at it on my white pad - no light, no loupe - just awe-struck. The colour, the tone, the saturation… magnificent. It was as though it had been dropped in a bottle of old blue ink - extraordinary saturation with no hint of zoning and definitely no modifying colours. It was, without a shadow of a doubt, the most beautiful rough diamond I have ever seen.”
Again, more at the link.
A possible new world record price for a diamond? We'll see . . . but frankly, I wouldn't spend that on a hunk of rock. There's so much good that could be done with it, I'd feel guilty about the indulgence. That's just me, of course - YMMV.
Peter
EDITED TO ADD: The Blue Moon diamond sold for a record $48.5 million today.
4 comments:
Peasant. You'd probably spend the money frivolousy on food, clothing, housing and medicine. Back to your hovel with your nekkid skinny ass, and take your phlegm with you1
So they've got one of those too, huh ?
It's not often that I *actually* laugh out loud at something on the Internet, but Charlie's reply accomplished that. Back to my misanthropy now.
Reminds me of 'Congo', a Michael Crichton novel that had blue diamonds at its center... also intelligent and murderous gorillas. Not his finest work.
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