A blue diamond worth more than $25 million that sets a new world record: This is the amount paid by an anonymous phone buyer for the legendary Bulgari Laguna Blu, which was auctioned by Sotheby’s in Geneva, where the gemstone reappeared after half a century. Sotheby’s has taken the watch back to the pre-pandemic era by having its best-performing sales of the Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels catalog for the last five years since May 2018, for total proceeds of 76,732,260 Swiss francs (85,431,762 dollars) scored.
The top lot was the Bulgari Laguna Blu, which sold above its asking price, reaching 22,625,100 Swiss francs ($25,189,429; 23.2 million euros).
The Bulgari Laguna Blu is an extremely rare gemstone with exceptional color saturation and a vibrant ocean blue that comes from a famous European collection. Created by Bulgari as a ring in 1970 – at a time when Bulgari was undergoing some of its most significant transformations and becoming the most influential and innovative Italian fine jewelery house in the world – the Bulgari Laguna Blu is three times as rare: it is an 11.16 carat -fancy vivid blue diamond, one of the rarest gemstones in the world; it is a jewel signed by Bulgari; and is unmodified, meaning its current cut – made in 1970 – could be further improved with modern cutting methods to release it.
Sotheby’s Geneva auction saw an upswing, with more than half (53.4%) of all lots selling well above their top estimate and virtually all lots sold realizing prices within or above their estimates (97%). Among the lots, the following stand out: a diamond ring in Fancy Intense Pink and Fancy Deep Greyish Blue sold for 10,560,600 Swiss Francs ($11,757,538); a Fancy Vivid yellow diamond ring that sold for 1,130,300 Swiss francs (US$1,258,408); an emerald and diamond ring that sold for 419,100 Swiss francs ($466,601); a sapphire and diamond half parure (circa 1890) sold for 482,600 Swiss francs ($537,298); a ruby and diamond set by Van Cleef & Arpels (1980s) sold for 203,200 Swiss francs ($226,231); a pair of sapphire and diamond earrings that sold for 203,200 Swiss francs ($226,231); A fine padparadscha sapphire and diamond ring by Harry Winston sold for 508,000 Swiss francs (US$565,577).