The Oppenheimer Blu
They are intense, charming, beautiful and so rare. We are talking about blu diamonds. The popularity of these gems continues to grow, in part due to their historical significance and beauty, but also because there are so few of them available in the world. That's why, the rectangular-cut 12.03-carat Oppenheimer Blue, the largest Vivid Blue diamond ever to appear at auction, was sold for $57.5 million. The stunning gem went to auction on May 18th with an estimated worth of $46.1 million at Christie's Magnificent Jewels auction in Geneva. “During my 47 years at Christie’s, I’ve been lucky enough to have handled and auctioned some of the world’s most legendary blue diamonds” says François Curiel, Chairman of Christie’s Asia Pacific and China.
The Oppenheimer Blue diamond is the latest in a line of historic blue diamonds that have been auctioned at Christie’s. These include the Tereshchenko in 1984, the Wittelsbach Blue in 2008, the Begum Blue in 1995, and a blue-diamond ring owned by Marie-Antoinette which was auctioned in 1983. Curiel notes the coveted nature of such rare gems: “Blue diamonds have gained a wider following, not only because they are stunning, but because there are so few of them available in the world.”
