Blue-green diamond called the "world's rarest" sells for record $17.3 million at auction
CBS News • • business
Key Points:
- A 5.5-carat triangular-cut diamond known as the "Ocean Dream," the largest fancy vivid blue-green diamond, sold for $17.3 million at Christie's Geneva auction, setting a record price for its kind.
- The diamond, discovered in Central Africa in the 1990s, surpassed its presale estimate of $9-13 million and sold within 20 minutes to an undisclosed private buyer.
- The "Ocean Dream" weighs 9.4 grams and includes a ring mount adorned with rock crystal, round diamonds, and pink diamonds, highlighting its rarity and craftsmanship.
- At a concurrent Sotheby's auction in Geneva, a 6-carat fancy vivid blue diamond from South Africa's Cullinan mine failed to sell but attracted ongoing buyer interest.
- Both Christie's and Sotheby's report growing collector demand for rare colored diamonds, which constitute a small portion of global diamond production, with past high-profile sales reaching tens of millions of dollars.