RT.com
15 May 2026, 16:45 GMT+10
The 'Ocean Dream' has become the most expensive fancy vivid blue-green diamond ever sold at auction
British international auction house Christie's sold a rare blue-green diamond known as the 'Ocean Dream', which was found in Central Africa, for more than $17.3 million at its Magnificent Jewels sale in Geneva on Wednesday.
The auction house said the 5.5-carat diamond is the largest fancy vivid blue-green diamond ever certified by the Gemological Institute of America. It exceeded its presale estimate of $8-12 million. It was cut from an 11.70-carat rough stone found in the 1990s.
The gem was shaped into a triangular cut that preserved much of the original rough diamond.
Christie's said the diamond attracted strong bidding before an unnamed private collector bought it. The bidding lasted around 20 minutes. The auction house said the final price set a new auction record for a diamond of its kind.
The Ocean Dream became widely known after it appeared at the Smithsonian Institution's 'Splendor of Diamonds' exhibition in 2003.
"The Ocean Dream is a gemstone of rare distinction, returning to auction for only the second time in its history. Celebrated by the Smithsonian Institution as one of the eight rarest diamonds in the world, it stands as the largest fancy vivid blue-green diamond ever recorded," Max Fawcett, the global head of Christie's Jewelry, said in a statement released before the sale.
Details about the diamond's origin, including the mine and country where it was discovered, have never been publicly disclosed by gemological authorities or auction houses. Christie's and industry sources have only identified the stone as originating from Central Africa.
READ MORE: African state thanks Russia for help in lifting diamond export ban
The sale follows other high-profile auctions of rare diamonds mined in Africa. In May 2025, Sotheby's sold the 'Mediterranean Blue', a 10.03-carat blue diamond from South Africa's Cullinan mine, for around $21.5 million in Geneva.
Get a daily dose of Sierra Leone Times news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Sierra Leone Times.
More InformationMENLO PARK, California: Meta Platforms is introducing a new Incognito Chat feature for its artificial intelligence assistant on WhatsApp,...
NEW YORK, New York - World stock markets closed mostly higher on Thursday, driven by broad-based gains on Wall Street and in Europe,...
SAN FRANCISCO, California: LinkedIn plans to lay off about five percent of its workforce as the Microsoft-owned professional networking...
LUXEMBOURG CITY, Luxembourg: TikTok on May 12 urged Europe's highest court to overturn its designation as a gatekeeper under the European...
BEIJING, China: Artificial intelligence is expected to feature prominently in talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stock markets delivered a split decision at the closing bell on Wednesday, with technology shares powering...
The Ocean Dream has become the most expensive fancy vivid blue-green diamond ever sold at auction British international auction house...
The 'Ocean Dream' has become the most expensive fancy vivid blue-green diamond ever sold at auction ...
(260515) -- ACCRA, May 15, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Students have a Chinese language class at the North Hill International School during the...
(260515) -- KIGALI, May 15, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Rwandan President Paul Kagame (R) and Amir Ben Yahmed, president of the Africa CEO Forum,...
(260515) -- DAR ES SALAAM, May 15, 2026 (Xinhua) -- A contestant performs during the sixth Chinese Bridge Chinese Proficiency Competition...
Spc. Mariyah Symone Collingtons remains were discovered in a cave around 500 meters from where she reportedly entered the Atlantic...
