Christie’s just released this news from Geneva where it offered The Oppenheimer Blue Diamond for the first time at auction:

The packed auction room became silent and around 100 iphones were used by those attending to film this piece of auction history. 25 minutes later Rahul Kadakia, International director of the Jewellery department, sold the diamond for an impressive SFr56,837,000 US$57,541,779, setting a new world record for any jewel sold at auction. The bidding battle between collectors from 3 continents concluded with the successful new owner identified as a private collector.