The always popular fall Geneva jewelry auctions will be held in November and one of the most anticipated gems will be the 17.61-carat “Bleu Royal,” the largest internally flawless fancy vivid blue gem to ever appear at auction, Christie’s said in a statement.
The pear-shaped gem will be the top lot in Christie’s Geneva Magnificent Jewels sale on November 7 at the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues. Its estimate is $35 million – $50 million. If the gem achieves its estimate, it will among the top five fancy blue diamonds ever sold at auction.
Christie’s in a statement said the Bleu Royal has been part of an unnamed private collection for the past 50 years. This is the first time the gem, set in a ring flanked by diamonds, will be presented for sale at auction.
“This is a true miracle of nature,” Rahul Kadakia, Christie’s International Head of Jewellery said in a statement. “Over our 257-year long history Christie’s has had the privilege of offering the world’s rarest gems at auction, and Bleu Royal continues this tradition.”
Driven by collector demand and limited supply, prices for high-quality fancy colored diamonds have increased exponentially in recent years. Fancy vivid blue diamonds of more than 10 carats are extremely rare. In its history, Christie’s said it has only offered three such gems:
- The 10.95-carat Bulgari Blue which sold for more than $15.7 million in New York on October 2010,
- The 13.22 Winston Blue which sold for approximately $23.8 million in Geneva on May 2014, and
- The 14.62-carat Oppenheimer Blue, which fetched more than $57.5 million, a world record for a fancy blue diamond, in Geneva on May 2016.
Christie’s so far has submitted little detail regarding the remaining lots in the sale. Among the known highlights will be a private collection of Cartier jewels lead by an Art Deco multi-gem sautoir. In addition, there’s a 36.45-carat Burmese sapphire on a ring by Graff, a 21.88-carat Burmese ruby on a ring and a 96.39-carat sapphire pendant necklace by historic London jewelry house, Chatila.
Other items in the sale include a heart-shaped diamond pendant, a Cartier rock crystal and onyx Mystery Clock, a diamond and pearl brooch in the shape of a palm tree, Cartier Art Deco Emerald and Onyx drop earrings, an emerald cut fancy pink diamond on a ring flanked by diamonds, and a Cartier Art Deco ruby and sapphire necklace.
This post originally appeared on Forbes.com
