Oppenheimer diamond sells for record £39.5m

A new world record for any jewel sold at auction as been set by the Oppenheimer Blue diamond after it sold for $57.5m (£39.5m).

The diamond, which is the largest fancy vivid blue diamond ever offered at auction, was sold at the Christie’s auction of ‘Magnificent Jewels’ held at held at the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues in Geneva, on Wednesday 18 May.

Pre-estimates of the 14.62ct diamond – named after its previous owner, the late horse breeder Sir Philip Oppenheimer, who died in 1995 – said it would sell for up to £31.4m.

It was purchased after 25 minutes of bidding, however the buyer has not been named.

The sale follows a month which has seen various stones selling for record prices, including the recent sale of the ‘Unique Pink’ diamond for £21.8m

Rahul Kadakia, international head of Christie’s jewellery department, said : “Once again, the Magnificent jewels sale was a great success welcoming clients from all over the world. Selling the Oppenheimer blue diamond was a real privilege and the result of $57.5m proves that there is still a strong demand for high end quality stones.”