Christies Jewels London sale sells the most expensive diamond

The 35.56 carat - Wittelsbach Diamond was bought over by Graff Diamonds at the recently held Christie's Jewels: The London Sale, for $24,311,190, making it the most expensive diamond to be bought at a sale. The Diamond is a rare stone discovered in the 17th century, is cushion-shaped, deep grayish-blue in appearance and of VS2 quality. Its average sale price was $683,667 per carat.

The auctioneer mentioned that the sale of this diamond was a milestone considering its historic lineage, the price it sold for especially in these stressed economic situations. Previous to the Wittelsbach Diamond, the most expensive diamond sold at auction, was the 100-carat diamond sold in 1995, in Geneva to Laurence Graff for $16.5 million.

The present London sale generated $27,220,131, with 55 percent of the lots being sold. Amongst the top lost were a Belle Époque diamond necklace/tiara, bought for $339,978, an art deco diamond bracelet designed by Cartier, bought for $81,936.