Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

$20m Diamond to top record sale price

 

Monday 19 August 2013 13:30 EDT
Comments
The rare round blue diamond will go under the hammer in Hong Kong in October
The rare round blue diamond will go under the hammer in Hong Kong in October (AFP/Getty images)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A stunning and rare diamond is to go on sale in Hong Kong in a little over a month and is expected to fetch a record price of nearly $20m (£12.8m).

The “Premier Blue” diamond will go under the hammer on 7 October and Sotheby’s is expecting collectors to fly in from around the world to bid. The auction house says the 7.59-carat fancy vivid blue diamond could set a price-per-carat record.

Despite a slowdown in the Chinese economy over the past few years, the sellers are confident that the rarity of the gem will ensure a high sale price.

“While there is a slowdown, the number of top-level collectors are still there,” Quek Chin Yeow, Sotheby Asia’s deputy chairman, said.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in