 RAPAPORT... A rare fancy intense blue diamond topped Bonhams London sale this week as the auction house reported a strong overall performance from its diamond offering.
The auction totaled $8.4 million (GBP 6.4 million), boosted by the oval-cut, 3.81-carat, fancy intense blue, I1-clarity diamond sold for $3 million (GBP 2.3 million), or $792,450 per carat.
“Blue diamonds account for only 0.004 percent of all diamonds mined and are therefore exceptionally rare and remain highly sought after,” said Jean Ghika, head of jewelry for Bonhams UK and Europe. “The price achieved in today’s auction demonstrates that the global appetite for colored diamonds remains as buoyant as ever.”
Colorless diamonds featured in the sale included a marquise-cut, 11-carat, D-color, VS1-clarity, type IIa diamond, which sold for $802,052 (GBP 614,500) or $72,913 per carat, triple the lower end of the pre-sale estimate. A brilliant-cut, 13.77-carat, I-color, VVS2-clarity diamond ring by J. Roca sold for $394,826 (GBP 302,500), or $28,673 per carat.
Bonhams said it sold 72 percent of the lots on offer.
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