Coloured diamonds have headlined two recent auctions, breaking world records at both sales, while record-breaking prices could also be a reality for a newly discovered 40-carat rough ruby.
During a recent Sotheby’s sale in New York, a 9.75-carat, pear-shaped fancy vivid blue diamond simultaneously set two new world auction records: price for any blue diamond; and price-per-carat for any diamond.
It was said that seven bidders competed for the stone for 20 minutes before a private collector from Hong Kong secured the diamond for US$32.6 million (AU$38.7 m), equating to US$3.2 million per carat (AU$4 m).
The diamond formed part of a jewellery collection that once belonged to the late American socialite Rachel Lambert Mellon, wife of philanthropist Paul Mellon.
Read more....
