14 DAY TRIAL // On April 25, a blue diamond made history by fetching a whopping $9.6 million (€7.36 million) at an auction organized in London by Bonhams.
Apparently, the 5.3-carat stone owes its impressive selling price to its color (specialists say the diamond is a fancy deep blue) and to its having been set in a ring by none other than Italian jeweler Bulgari. Live Science informs us that the diamond's color is the result of its having boron atoms intermixed with carbon ones.
Specialists explain that blue diamonds are not in the least a common sight, and that just 1% of the stones extracted from mines display this color.
Needless to say, their being so rare also contributes to their being highly sought-after and valued.
“Blue diamonds, especially those over 5.00 carats, are extremely rare to see on the market and continue to be highly sought-after. We are honored to have handled the sale of such a unique gem,” one of the persons in charge of overseeing this auction told members of the press.