Ocean Dream Diamond Sells for $17.3M Record at Christie's

A rare 5.5-carat fancy vivid blue-green diamond known as the Ocean Dream sold for 17.3 million dollars at Christie's Magnificent Jewels auction in Geneva on Wednesday, setting a record price for a gem of its kind.

The triangular-cut stone, certified by the Gemological Institute of America as the largest ever in its color category, exceeded its presale estimate of 8 million to 12 million dollars after about 20 minutes of competitive bidding among three clients from different regions. An unnamed private collector secured the diamond, according to Christie's officials.

Cut from an 11.7-carat rough stone discovered in Central Africa during the 1990s, the Ocean Dream gained prominence after appearing in the Smithsonian Institution's Splendor of Diamonds exhibition in Washington in 2003. The display highlighted it among the world's eight rarest diamonds, alongside gems in red, orange, yellow, pink, blue and white hues. Christie's described it as a Type Ia diamond, among the purest natural varieties, noting its exceptional scarcity. "A stone of this colour and size is extremely scarce," said Max Fawcett, global head of Christie's Jewelry. "To find something in five carat of this...