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| The Oppenheimer Blue could fetch $45 million |
Two rare statement colored diamonds will highlight the upcoming Sotheby’s and Christie’s jewelry auctions in Geneva this week.
The item getting all the press (and for good reason) is the 14.62-carat “Oppenheimer Blue,” which is the highlight of Christie’s Geneva Magnificent Jewels sale at the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues on Wednesday. It is “the largest and finest fancy vivid blue diamond ever offered at auction,” according to the auction house.
If it goes beyond its high estimate of $45 million, it could outpace the “Blue Moon of Josephine,” a 12.03-carat cushion-shaped fancy internally flawless vivid blue diamond that set a world auction record of $48.4 million in November, 2015.
The diamond was previously owned by Sir Philip Oppenheimer, a member of the family that once controlled the De Beers Mining Company. He is credited with serving for 45 years as chairman of the Central Selling Organization, the sales cartel set up by De Beers to keep strict control over the diamond supply worldwide. He died in 1995 at the age of 83.
While the Oppenheimer Blue is the star of the Geneva jewelry auctions, there will be several other statement pieces on the auction block. In particular, the “Unique Pink,” (pictured above) which goes on sale at Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels sale at the Hôtel Beau-Rivage. The pear shaped 15.38-carat fancy vivid pink diamond has a high estimate of $38 million. It is the largest fancy vivid pink pear shaped diamond ever offered at auction, according to the auction house. “In my experience, such outstanding vivid Pink color in a stone over 15 carats is truly unique,” said David Bennett, worldwide chairman of Sotheby’s International Jewellery Division.
At the same auction, a pear shaped 7.32-carat fancy vivid blue diamond ring will be offered with a high estimate of $25 million (pictured above).
Meanwhile, Christie’s will be offering earrings with matching fancy vivid orange-yellow diamonds of 12.20 and 11.96 carats (above). One diamond with this color is extremely rare, let alone two matching diamonds. The high estimate for the pair, named “The Oriental Sunrise,” is $12.2 million. The origin of the diamonds is unknown or unavailable.
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