Blue Moon of Josephine Diamond
| Weight | 12.03 carats (2.406 g) |
|---|---|
| Color | Fancy Vivid Blue |
| Cut | Cushion-Shaped |
| Owner | Joseph Lau |
| Estimated value | US $48.4 million |
The Blue Moon of Josephine is a 12.03 carats (2.406 g) blue diamond, described as flawless by experts, that was discovered in South Africa in January 2014 and was sold at a Sotheby's auction in Geneva in November 2015 at a record-setting price of $48.4 million (43.2 million Swiss francs plus fees).[1] The diamond is the largest cushion-shaped blue stone classified as "fancy vivid" ever to appear at auction.[2]
The "Blue Moon" sale, according to David Bennett, the head of Sotheby's international jewellery division, set a record for the highest-ever price per carat and it made the diamond both the most expensive jewel ever sold at auction and the world's most expensive diamond, regardless of color.[1][2]
The diamond was bought by the Hong Kong billionaire Joseph Lau Luen-hung, who named it for his seven-year-old daughter, Josephine. On the day before the "Blue Moon" sale, Lau had purchased a 16.08 carats (3.216 g) pink diamond at a Christie's auction for $28.5 million, a record price for a jewel of its kind, and renamed it the "Sweet Josephine" diamond.[3] In 2009, Lau bought another blue diamond for $9.5 million that he renamed the "Star of Josephine".[2]
References
- 1 2 "Billionaire buys Blue Moon diamond for 7yo daughter for record $68m". ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). 12 November 2015. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
- 1 2 3 "Billionaire buys 7-year-old daughter Blue Moon diamond for record $48m". The Guardian. 12 November 2015. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
- ↑ "The Sweet Josephine: rare pink diamond sold in Geneva auction". The Guardian. 12 November 2015. Retrieved 12 November 2015.