Oppenheimer Blue diamond fetches record $58m price at Geneva auction

A blue diamond set a record price for any jewel in auction when it went under the hammer for $58m (€52m) in a Christie’s sale in Geneva.

The Oppenheimer Blue, at 14.62 carats, was estimated to be worth as much as $46m. The stone now belongs to a private collector after a 25-minute battle between bidders on three continents, Christie’s said after Wednesday’s sale.

The gem is named after its previous owner, Sir Philip Oppenheimer, whose family controlled De Beers for 80 years before selling out.