Rare Blue Diamond Fetches $9.5 Million in Sotheby's Auction
The BBC reports that the beautiful rare 7.03-ct. fancy vivid blue diamond (see photo here) found in Cullinan mine in South Africa last year has been auctioned for a record price. The diamond sold for 10.5 million Swiss francs, which is about $9.5 million. Auctioneer David Bennett said, "It is a new world record price for a blue diamond."
Jewelers' Circular Keystone (JCK) reports that Sotheby's will be offering a a 7.03-ct. fancy vivid blue diamond from the Cullinan diamond mine in South Africa as part of its Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels auction on May 12th, 2009.
JCK also says that the Gemological Institute of America gave the stone the highest grading possible for a blue diamond: "fancy vivid blue in color and internally flawless in clarity." Sotheby's says it is one of the most important blue diamonds they have ever put for auction.
"This stone certainly ranks among the most important blue diamonds that I have had the privilege of offering for sale in my career at Sotheby's and what makes it particularly special for us, is that we've been able to follow its production from the initial rough state through the various stages of its cutting and polishing," said David Bennett, chairman of Europe & the Middle East, Sotheby's International Jewellery department.
JCK says the pre-sale estimate for the beautiful rare blue diamond is from $5.8 to $8.5 million.
Jewelers' Circular Keystone (JCK) 
