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"It's the most expensive jewel ever sold at auction,"
Christie's spokeswoman Alexandra Kindermann told Reuters.
The previous record was held by the "Blue Moon Diamond", sold at
rival Sotheby's for $48.6 million last November. The new Hong
Kong owner renamed that stone the "Blue Moon Josephine".
The Oppenheimer, the largest fancy vivid blue diamond ever
offered at auction, is a rectangular diamond weighing 14.62
carats that previously belonged to Sir Philip Oppenheimer, who
controlled the Diamond Syndicate in London. It had a pre-sale
estimate of $38 million-$45 million.
The packed Geneva saleroom broke into applause as Rahul Kadakia,
Christie's International Head of Jewellery, brought down the
hammer after two phone bidders ended a 20-minute battle. The
buyer's identity was not immediately known.
Bidding opened at 30 million Swiss francs for the blue diamond,
the top lot at the half-yearly sale, and amid the long pauses
between telephone bids, Kadakia quipped: "These stones come
along once in a lifetime. We have to wait."
"As head of the London-based Central Selling Organization for 45
years and serving as Chairman for the Diamond Trading Company
branch, Sir Philip oversaw a diamond sales cartel set up by De
Beers to keep strict control over the diamond supply worldwide,"
the Christie's catalog said.
"Oriental Sunrise", a pair of orange-yellow diamond drop
earrings sold for 11.36 million Swiss francs ($11.52 million), a
spokeswoman said.
At Sotheby's on Tuesday, a rare pear-shaped vivid pink diamond
fetched 30.8 million Swiss francs, purchased by a private Asian
collector.
Christie's sale netted a total of 146.8 million Swiss francs
($148.69 million), falling short of Sotheby's $175.2 million.
"Two days of highly successful auctions that momentarily made us
forget about a quiet market with their good results, even very
good," Eric Valdieu, a Geneva-based jewelry dealer formerly with
Christie's, told Reuters.
"Geneva auctions have reached new heights in total value, it's
unheard of," he added.
Christie's is owned by French retail magnate Francois Pinault's
holding company Artemis SA.
(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Alan
Crosby)
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