The world's largest blue diamond was auctioned off
The unique step-cut gem was purchased by an unknown person for nearly $49 million at a Sotheby's Hong Kong auction.
A bright blue diamond measuring 15.10 carats was discovered by Petral Diamonds at South Africa's oldest mine, Cullinan, in April 2021. Later De Beers bought the find, and Diacore began to cut it.
The gem, named De Beers Cullinan Blue, is considered one of the largest and purest diamonds ever put up for auction. Until now, only ten diamonds of this color had ever been offered for public sale, but each one weighed no more than 15 carats.
"Blue diamonds of any kind are rare on the market, and this is the rarest of the rare; nothing even remotely similar has appeared at auction in recent years," Sotheby's Asia chairman Patti Wong told the press.
Cullinan Mine is the largest diamond mine in South Africa, and the world's largest diamond weighing 3,106.75 carats was found here in 1905.