Rare Blue Diamond Sold Most expensive Ever

[~*Alexis*~]

HONG KONG (Reuters) - One of the rarest gems in the world, a flawless blue diamond, has sold for US$7.98 million (3.91 million pounds) at a Sotheby''s auction in Hong Kong, making it the most expensive gemstone in the world, per carat, sold at auction.

After intense bidding, the 6.04 carat, internally flawless blue diamond fetched $HK61.9 million (3.91 million pounds), or US$1.32 million per carat. The price smashed a 20-year-old record held by the "Hancock Red" -- a red diamond, which fetched US$926,000 per carat at the time, Sotheby''s said.

Sotheby''s said the buyer was "Moussaieff Jewellers" in London which has a reputation for acquiring extremely rare and costly gemstones. The seller was a private Asian collector.

Blue diamonds have long captivated the rich and powerful -- shimmering with a certain dark mystique. The famous "Hope Diamond", a 45.52 carat grey-blue beauty, was passed down through the ages by King Louis XIV of France, Marie Antoinette and American heiress Evalyn Walsh McClean among others. It now rests in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C.

The Sultan of Brunei reportedly bought another massive "blue" which surfaced briefly in the 1980s.

While not a large stone, the Sotheby''s diamond has an esteemed cut and "fancy vivid blue" hue, factors which contributed to its blockbuster price -- roughly 10 times the per-carat price of regular white diamonds.

The blue hue is a result of trace amounts of boron in the stone''s crystal structure.

Other coloured diamonds with pink and red hues can be mined in multiple locations across the globe including Brazil, India and Australia, but "blues" are mostly found at just one site on earth -- the Premier Mine in South Africa.

WOW...........I want that ring!!

 

[Pandora II]

I was looking at "Moussaieff Jewellers" window in New Bond Street a few weeks ago. They are opposite Graffs, and while they have some whacking great rocks, I wasn''t that keen on most of their pieces.

Certainly if I won the lottery they wouldn''t be on my top 10 jewellers.

Anyone have any pics?

 

[~*Alexis*~]

Here is the ring.....its even my taste!!


Who wants to buy it for me???? Any takers???

 

[fatafelice]

I may drown in my own drool.

Seriously, if I ever won the lottery, I would be sorely tempted to blow it all on a honkin'' blue diamond. I love them. *sigh*

 

[Skippy123]

Wow!!!

 

[Ninama]

~

 

[Pandora II]

Mmmm, I''m imagining it with some nice LM double claws... it''s gorgeous.

Okay, so I might pop in for that. It''s very unlike their usual jewellery - which is all very fussy and overly ornate. They cater mainly for the arabian/indian market.

 

[Ninama]

Lot 1128 : SUPERB AND RARE FANCY VIVID BLUE DIAMOND AND DIAMOND RING , SRG DI


Pre-Auction Price Estimate:
HKD35,000,000 - HKD48,000,000


Title:

SUPERB AND RARE FANCY VIVID BLUE DIAMOND AND DIAMOND RING , SRG DI

Description:

Simply set with an emerald-cut fancy vivid blue diamond weighing 6.04 carats, flanked on each side with an emerald-cut diamond, mounted in platinum, photographed unmounted. (omg!)
Notes:

PROPERTY OF AN ASIAN PRIVATE COLLECTION

Ring size: 6

Accompanied by two GIA reports both numbered 10838933, dated 20 August 2007 and 21 September 1999, stating that the 6.04 carat diamond is natural, Fancy Vivid Blue colour, Internally Flawless clarity; also accompanied by a classification report, stating that the diamond has been determined to be a type IIb diamond. Diamonds of this type and colour, as well as possessing a superior quality, are very rare in nature (usually less than one half of one percent) and contain small amounts of boron that can give rise to a blue or gray coloration.

 

[marcy]

Wow, that is very pretty! I''m drolling on the keyboard at school!

 

[KittenKat]

Oh my... that stone is my number one DREAM STONE!

Wow, blue emerald cut... delicious.