A RARE 29.6-carat blue diamond has been discovered in a South African
mine, and it could "be in a class of its own", the Petra Diamonds company says.
The
"exceptional" vivid blue stone was found in the Cullinan mine, near Pretoria,
last week and could "yield a polished stone of great value and importance", the
company said in a statement.
"Whenever you have an item as beautiful, rare and collectable as this
diamond, it is difficult to say what a buyer may be prepared to pay for it,"
group spokeswoman Cathy Malins said.
"We
are most excited about the potential for this diamond, so it could be in a class
of its own," she added.
Petra
sold a 25.5-carat blue diamond in April last year for $19 million, or $718,000
per carat - the highest per carat price in the company's history.
The
Cullinan mine has an even greater history as the place where in 1905 the world's
biggest diamond - dubbed the "Cullinan" - was found. The 3106-carat stone was
cut up and two major pieces are part of the British crown jewels.
Blue diamonds seldom hit the market and have been coveted by royals and celebrities for centuries.
A
5.30-carat fancy deep-blue diamond last year sold for $11.6 million at a London
auction, setting a new world record for price per carat.
At
$2.04 million per carat, the gem sold at Bonhams Fine Jewellery sale in central
London beat the previous record of $1.9 million.
With thanks to The
Australian
Picture Credit for Crown Jewels: 1000 Things
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