3. Blue Belle of Asia ($17.3 million)
The name “Blue Belle of Asia” reflects the quality and origin of this extraordinary necklace. Blue refers to the centerpiece color of this necklace, a blue sapphire with excellent clarity. And Belle, which means beautiful woman, refers to its beauty. And Asia refers to its origin as it was discovered in Sri Lanka, back in 1926.
In 2014, this necklace was sold at Christie’s Geneva jewelry auction for $17.3 million. However, the buyer has never been identified.
That enormous 392.52-carat cushion-cut blue Ceylon sapphire was designed by O.L.M Macan Markar & Co. And it suspends a brilliant-cut diamond tassel pendant with oval-shaped diamond terminals to the 45-cm long diamond neck chain mounted in gold.
That sapphire is one of the largest faceted sapphires. It is also unheated and of Ceylon origin.
