A rare blue diamond handed down through generations of German royalty sold for a record-breaking $24.3 million at auction Wednesday in London, Christie’s said.
The Wittelsbach Diamond, a 35.56 carat cushion-shaped gem, has often had its color and clarity compared to the famed Hope Diamond, now on display at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington.
The rare gem was snapped up by billionaire diamond-dealer Laurence Graff for about $24.3 million, including buyer’s premium, Christie’s spokeswoman Alexandra Kindermann said.Kindermann said the price — nearly double its pre-sale estimate — was the most ever paid for a diamond at auction, beating the $16.5 million commanded by a 100-carat diamond at a Swiss auction in 1995.
Christie’s said the diamond was purchased by King Philip IV of Spain in 1664 and included in the dowry for his teenage daughter, the Infanta Margarita Teresa. Although she died relatively young, the diamond remained with her husband, Leopold I of Austria, and passed through a succession of heirs.
