The ‘Trombino’ ring originally made by Bvlgari set a new world record with the last week. The rare blue diamond ring sold of an impressive $9.5 million, or $1.8 million per carat. The previous record for a blue diamond was set at $1.68 million per carat.
The ring was auctioned on April 24th as part of the Bonhams Fine Jewellery Sale in London. This ring was created during the mid-1960’s and was estimated to sell between $1.5 and $2.3 million, but actually sold for four times the pre-sale estimate. The extravagant piece was the highlight of the show and was purchased by Graff Diamonds. Graff Diamonds is an international diamond house, based in London as well. Graff is known to purchase large and expensive loose diamonds as well as rare, fine jewelry pieces. The auction house stated that bidding on the diamond was quite competitive and included international callers from as many as 25 telephone lines, not to mention from bidders in the packed sales room.
The ring features a cushion-shaped fancy deep-blue center diamond that weighs 5.30 carats. The impressive stone is set horizontally and also features a remarkable band that is decorated with pave-set round brilliant and baguette cut white diamonds. Jewelry pieces that feature fancy colored diamonds, such as yellow diamonds, tend to perform well during auction. Blue diamonds, especially those that surpass the 5.00 carat mark are incredibly rare, as explained by Director of the Jewellery Department for the UK and Europe, Jean Ghika:
“Blue diamonds, especially those over 5.00 carats, are extremely rare to see on the market and continue to be highly sought-after. During the 1960s and 1970s Bulgari was well known for its imaginative settings and use of colored diamonds, making them one of the most innovative and fashionable jewelers of the time. This ring epitomizes that ‘golden era’ of elegant simplicity and we are honored to be handling the sale of such a unique gem.”
