The Farnese Blue diamond that once made up part of former French Queen Marie Antoinette's tiara, was sold at auction for $6.7 million. Sotheby's said the stone had spent 300 years hidden away in a royal jewelry box.
The blue diamond, which was given as a wedding present to Elizabeth Farnese, daughter of the Duke of Parma, when she married Philip V of Spain in 1715, passed the expected auction estimate of $3 million to $5 million at Sotheby's in Geneva, the BBC News reported on Wednesday.
"We were expecting a good result, but we started from $3.5 million and we ended up with $6.7 million, so we exceeded our expectation," Sotheby's jewelry specialist Daniela Mascetti said about the 6.16 carat diamond which came from the Golconda mine in India, per the BBC News.
"Good jewels, well-designed, well-made, with a signature, with a perfect... slot in time, in age, do very well," Mascetti added.
Forbes magazine reported the valuable stone was passed down through four royal families in Europe before appearing on the market for the first time on Tuesday. The 300-year-old stone moved from royals in France to Italy and Austria, per BBC News.
"Discovering an unknown historical diamond such as the Farnese Blue happens once in a lifetime," said Sotheby's website.
"Apart from its beauty, the stone symbolizes 300 years of history. It has traveled around Europe during these three centuries. And all this time, it was hidden away in a royal jewelry box."
CNN reported the historic diamond was put on display in London, New York, Singapore, and Taipei, before arriving in Geneva before Tuesday's auction. The winning bid was made by an anonymous buyer, the broadcaster stated.
Sotheby's Geneva sold 372 lots during Tuesday's auction, totaling $85.6 million, with 82 percent of the lots sold and 70 percent of the lots exceeding their high estimates, Forbes reported.
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