Bulgari Laguna Blu Diamond Sells for $25 Million

After a four-minute bidding battle between three telephone bidders and one bidder in the room, the Laguna Blu—Bulgari’s famed 11.16 ct. fancy vivid blue diamond—sold for $25,189,429 million at Sotheby’s Geneva’s Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels sale.

The hammer price renders the Laguna Blu the most expensive Bulgari gem ever sold.

The brand stoked excitement for the diamond ahead of the sale by setting it in a classic-feeling necklace designed for actress and Bulgari brand ambassador Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who wore the necklace on fashion’s splashiest stage, the Met Gala’s arrivals carpet, in early May.

The diamond was cut in 1970 for a ring, and its value lies in its rarity (fancy vivid blue diamonds are among the rarest gems on earth) and its uncommonly deep blue hue and saturation. The gemstone is signed by Bulgari, arguably the most prestigious fine Italian jewelry house.

According to Sotheby’s, the stone has remained in the same “distinguished European” private collection for decades.

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