It weighs a hefty 12.03 carats. The color? An exceptionally fancy vivid blue.
On Wednesday, the 'Blue Moon' diamond sold for a whopping $48.4 million, making it the world's most expensive diamond.
According to the auctioneer David Bennett, it is the "highest price per carat" ever obtained for any kind of stone.
The
record sale, which took place at a Sotheby's auction in Geneva, was a
headline in itself. But when the successful bidder renamed it, 'Blue
Moon of Josephine', tongues were set wagging.
Just
a day before, at a Christie's auction, also in Geneva, an anonymous
bidder purchased a 16.08-carat pink diamond, for $28.5 million. He
dubbed it, 'Sweet Josephine.'
World's most expensive diamond sold.
At
first, the auction houses only disclosed that it had gone to a "Hong
Kong buyer," but the names of the diamonds provided clues to the
purchaser's true identity.
billionaire Joseph Lau, of property firm Chinese Estates Holdings, as the gem's new owner.
"Yes, the diamonds were bought by Mr. Joseph Lau for his daughter".
Lau has a track record for naming gems after his daughters, 7-year-old Josephine and 13-year-old Zoe.
Back in 2009, Lau purchased a 7.03-carat blue diamond for $9.48 million. He named it, the 'Star of Josephine.'
Last
November, he purchased a 9.75-carat blue diamond for $32.6 million,
calling it 'The Zoe Diamond' as well as a Burmese ruby and diamond
brooch weighing 10.10 carats for $8.43 million, naming it 'The Zoe Red.'
Lau
is a prolific collector of art and wine, and has a penchant for
extravagant gestures. He is the owner of a $17.4 million Andy Warhol
portrait of Mao Zedong. He also built Hong Kong's tallest retail complex
and named it 'The ONE', reportedly after an ex-girlfriend.
according to Forbes, Lau is the 114th richest person in the world with an estimated net worth of $9.8 billion.
The
previous record holder for the most expensive diamond was the
24.78-carat Graff Pink, sold by Sotheby's for $46.2 million in 2010.
In
2013, Sotheby's auctioned a pink diamond called the 'Pink Star' for
$83.2 million, but the buyer ultimately defaulted on the payment. The
stone remains in the auction house's inventory.
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