World's Largest Blue Diamond Sold For IDR 831 Billion, Very Rare And Comes From South Africa

JAKARTA - The world's largest blue diamond ever auctioned has been sold for HK$450,925,000 or around US$57.5 million, equivalent to Rp.831,378,125,000.

Named 'The De Beers Cullinan Blue', the 15.10-carat step-cut gem successfully sold at Sotheby's in Hong Kong, after an eight-minute bidding war between four hopeful buyers.

The bid that won the auction, exceeding its initial estimated sales target of $48 million, came from an anonymous buyer over the phone, Sotheby's said.

The rare diamond was discovered in South Africa's Cullinan mine in 2021, The diamond is known to have reached the highest rating graded by color diamond.

According to a statement from Sotheby's, the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) categorizes the gem as a 'luxury bright blue', a top color rating, having been awarded to no more than 1 percent of blue diamonds submitted to the organization.

Describing the diamond as 'extremely rare', Sotheby's statement said only five gems over 10 carats have ever appeared at auction. Nothing is more than 15 carats, "making the appearance of this impeccable gem a momentous occasion in itself."

With a final price of $57,471,960, The De Beers Cullinan Blue came close to breaking the record for the most expensive blue diamond ever sold at auction.

That title is still held by the 14.62 carat 'Oppenheimer Blue', which sold in 2016 for a final price of $57.541,779, a difference of just under $70,000.

Patti Wong, chairman of Sotheby's Asia, said in a statement: "This is truly a once-in-a-generation stone, and the largest blue diamond of its size I have ever seen."