GENEVA, Switzerland, May 18 (UPI) -- The 14.6-karat Oppenheimer Blue diamond has a new owner -- a rich and record-setting new owner.
The rare jewel sold at Christie's auction house on Tuesday in Switzerland for a staggering $57,541,779 -- a new record for most money spent for a jewel at auction in history.
Most of the heavy bidding was done by private investors on three different continents, Forbes reported Wednesday, but the winning buyer was not named -- nor was it revealed where the person lives.
"Exemplifying the continued global demand for the highest quality stones, the Oppenheimer Blue makes history as the most expensive jewel ever sold at auction," Christie's said.
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The gem got its name from its former owner -- Sir Philip Oppenheimer, whose family ran diamond brokerage giant De Beers for 80 years before selling their stake four years ago.
The rare blue diamond was previously appraised to sell for between $38-$45 million. The actual sale price beat that estimate by more than $10 million.
"Set with a fancy vivid blue rectangular-cut diamond, weighing approximately 14.62 carats, flanked on either side by a trapeze-shaped diamond," Christie's said in its description of the stone. "Also accompanied by the original 'Eight Blades' mounting from Verdura, ring size 6, mounted in platinum."
The previous record for a jewel auction was $50 million, paid by Hong Kong billionaire Joseph Lau for a 12-carat Vivid Blue diamond called "Blue Moon of Josephine" at Sotheby's last year.
The sale of the Oppenheimer came about a month before another diamond auction is expected to take a princely haul.
An 1,100-carat rough diamond -- about the size of a baseball -- is expected to sell for more than $70 million on June 29. The massive rock, called the Lesedi la Rona, was found in southern Africa last fall. It will be auctioned by Sotheby's in London.
