The largest internally flawless fancy vivid blue diamond ever offered at auction has been sold for an impressive $43.8 million at a Christie's auction of rare jewels in Geneva.

This vivid blue diamond, known as "Bleu Royal" and set in a ring, is one of the rarest gemstones ever unearthed. With a weight of 17.6 carats, it had an estimated value of up to $50 million prior to the sale.

Rahul Kadakia, Christie’s international head of jewelry, announced, "The stone made almost $44 million," highlighting the substantial sum in the current global context.

Max Fawcett, head of Christie’s jewelry department in Geneva, described the diamond as exceptional due to its deep, rich blue color and unaltered pear brilliant shape. He noted, "It really ticked all the boxes, which is why we managed to excite collectors all around the world, all the way from the Far East, also to America. We’re extremely delighted with the result."

Christie's auction on that day also featured the sale of numerous rare jewelry pieces, collectively worth over $77 million. Fawcett emphasized the continued strength of the market, especially for colored gemstones and signed jewelry. He added, "There’s a great market out there for rare things, and there are still collectors looking for the very best."

In a separate sale on the previous day, Christie’s auctioned a Rolex wristwatch worn by Marlon Brando in the 1979 film "Apocalypse Now" for over CHF4.5 million ($4.99 million). The actor had engraved his signature on the back of the watch to prevent accidental swapping during filming. Photo by 350z33, Wikimedia commons.