Geneva, Switzerland Portal —
The largest internally flawless, brilliant blue diamond ever auctioned could sell for up to $50 million at a Christie’s rare jewelry auction in Geneva on November 7, the auctioneer said Thursday.
Known as the “Bleu Royal,” this brilliant blue diamond set in a ring is among the rarest ever unearthed.
“What makes Bleu Royal so rare and special is its size. At 17.6 carats, it is the largest of its kind,” said Rahul Kadakia, international head of jewelry at Christie’s.
“The color is naturally very rich and the interior is as flawless as it gets.”
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The diamond, set in a ring, will go under the hammer as part of Christie’s Magnificent Jewels auction this month.
In 2016, Christie’s sold a rare 14.6-carat blue diamond known as “Oppenheimer Blue” for more than $57 million.
“We hope it beats the Oppenheimer,” Kadakia said of “Bleu Royal.”
“We have traveled it all over the world, to Asia, the US and Europe, and we have seen a lot of interest from collectors around the world.”
In a separate online auction November 3-16, Christie’s is offering a pearl necklace worn by film and fashion icon Audrey Hepburn in the final scene of the 1953 film “Roman Holiday.”
“We have set the price at $20,000 to $30,000, so it is quite reasonable,” Kadakia said. “Anyone can be Audrey Hepburn.”
03:09 – Source: CNN
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The auctioneer is also presenting a Rolex watch worn by Marlon Brando in the 1979 film Apocalypse Now, on the back of which the actor engraved his signature to prevent it from being accidentally swapped during filming.
“What makes it truly unique is that it is truly one of the most recognizable pieces of Rolex memorabilia to ever appear at auction,” said Remi Guillemin, head of watches in Europe at Christie’s.
Two years ago, the watch, now worth between 1 and 2 million Swiss francs, was auctioned for 2 million Swiss francs ($2.2 million).
“It is indeed very special to have both pieces by incredible actors – a Marlon Brando Rolex and an Audrey Hepburn necklace,” said Guillemin.