Photos: Vivid blue diamond could sell for $50 million at Christie's auction

'Bleu Royal' diamond - which is set in a ring - is among the rarest ever to be unearthed

Published: November 03, 2023 09:00 Compiled by Nathaniel Lacsina, Senior Web Editor and with inputs from Reuters

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Geneva: The largest internally flawless fancy vivid blue diamond ever put up for auction could sell for up to $50 million at a Christie's sale of rare jewels in Geneva on Nov. 7, the auctioneer said. Image Credit: AFP

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Known as "Bleu Royal," this vivid blue diamond - which is set in a ring - is among the rarest ever to be unearthed. Image Credit: Reuters

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"What makes Bleu Royal so rare and special is its size. At 17.6 carats, it's the largest of its kind," said Rahul Kadakia, Christie's international head of jewellery. Image Credit: Reuters

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"The colour is very rich naturally, and it is internally flawless as best as can be." In 2016, Christie's sold a rare, 14.6-carat blue diamond known as the "Oppenheimer Blue" for more than $57 million. Image Credit: AFP

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"We hope it will beat the Oppenheimer," Kadakia said of "Bleu Royal." "We have toured it all around the world, to Asia, to the U.S. and Europe, and we've had good interest from collectors worldwide." Image Credit: Reuters

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In a separate online auction running Nov. 3-16, Christie's will be offering a pearl necklace worn by film and fashion icon Audrey Hepburn in the final scene of the movie "Roman Holiday" from 1953. Image Credit: Reuters

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"We priced it at $20,000 to $30,000, so it's quite reasonable," Kadakia said. "Everybody can be Audrey Hepburn." Image Credit: Reuters

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The auctioneer will also be presenting a Rolex wristwatch worn by Marlon Brando in the 1979 movie "Apocalypse Now," on the back of which the actor engraved his signature to avoid having it swapped accidentally during shooting. Image Credit: Reuters

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Two years ago the watch, now valued at between 1 million and 2 million Swiss francs, sold at auction for $2 million Swiss francs ($2.2 million). Image Credit: Reuters

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