稀世藍鑽以960萬美元拍賣價刷新世界紀錄大綱

A stunning blue diamondbroke a world record today, fetching a price of 6.2 million British pounds (about $9.6 million), or about $1.8 million per carat, according to auctioneer Bonhams.

據美國生活科學網4月26日報道，英國寶龍拍賣行稱，4月24日，一顆驚豔藍鑽以620萬英鎊（約960萬美元）的價格拍出，每克拉價格高達180萬美元，刷新了此前每克拉168萬美元的世界紀錄。

The diamond is a brilliant blue and is set in a ring made by Italian jeweler Bulgariaround 1965. The high price likely comes from the diamond's unusual color as well as its posh setting: Bulgari is a company beloved by the Hollywood glitterati, and blue diamondsare rarely up for sale. This particular blue diamond also happens to be a large chunk of ice at 5.3 carets.

這顆鑽石色澤呈孔雀藍，大概在1965年，意大利珠寶商寶格麗將它鑲嵌在一枚戒指中。拍賣價高昂很可能是因爲其獨特的色澤和不俗的來歷。寶格麗是好萊塢影視名流鍾愛的珠寶品牌，而且藍鑽在市面上十分罕見，更何況是一塊5.3克拉的大鑽石。

The diamond is a "fancy deep-blue" stone, terminology that describes its intensity of color. The blue sheen comes from boron atomsintermixed with the carbonthat makes up the diamond's structure. According to Bonhams, less than 1 percent of all diamonds mined are blue diamonds.

根據色彩強度，這顆鑽石學名爲“花式深藍”鑽石，其藍色光澤由硼原子與碳原子結構的混合而產生。寶龍拍賣行指出，在所有開採的鑽石中，只有不到1%是藍鑽。

"Blue diamonds, especially those over 5.00 carats, are extremely rare to see on the market and continue to be highly sought-after," Jean Ghika, the director of Bonhams' European jewelry department, said in a statement. "We are honored to have handled the sale of such a unique gem."

“藍鑽，尤其是超過5克拉的藍鑽在市場上是極爲罕見的，也一直備受追捧。”寶龍拍賣行歐洲珠寶部門的主管讓·吉卡在聲明中說，“我們很榮幸能夠拍賣這顆稀世鑽石。”

The previous record for the price of a diamond per carat was $1.68 million, according to most famous blue diamond in the world is the Hope Diamond, which now resides at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum. Crudely cut, the Hope Diamond was 112 and 3/15 carats and likely came from a mine in Golconda, India, according to the Smithsonian. King Louis XIV bought the diamond from a French merchant who picked it up in India and later had it recut into a 67 and 1/8-carat stone. The diamond remained in the hands of French royalty until 1792, when it was stolen during an episode of unrest and looting. [Sinister Sparkle: 13 'Cursed' Gems]

據悉，世界上現存最著名的藍鑽是“希望之星”，現藏於美國首都華盛頓史密森尼國立自然歷史博物館。據博物館稱，該鑽石可能來自印度戈爾康達的礦山，經粗加工後重達112.2克拉。一位法國商人在印度得到這顆鑽石後，將其切割成一顆67.125克拉的藍鑽，賣給了法國國王路易十四。此後，鑽石一直在法國皇族手中，直到1792年，它在一次動亂中被盜，從此下落不明。

The diamond's path then becomes foggy until 1839, when it popped up in the gem collection of banking heir Henry Philip Hope. The diamond then passed through the hands of multiple private sellers, gracing a tiara at one point before being set as a pendant. The Hope Diamond was donated to the Smithsonian in 1958. Three-hundred-plus years of recutting has whittled its weight down to 45.54 carats.

1839年，這顆藍鑽的下落終於有了眉目，它出現在銀行家亨利·菲利普·霍普的珠寶收藏中。隨後，又經多個買家之手。它曾一度被用作冕狀頭飾，後改爲吊墜。1958年，“希望之星”被捐給了美國史密森尼博物院。歷經300餘年的數次切割後，該鑽石只剩下45.54克拉。

Blue diamonds aren't the only unusual color out there. Very rarely, miners unearth red diamonds, which are sometimes mistaken for garnets or rubies. Only three red diamondsweigh more than 5 carats, including the Kazanjian Red Diamond, which went on display at the American Museum of Natural History in 2010.

當然，除藍鑽之外，紅鑽也極爲罕見。有時候，礦工會把挖到的紅鑽誤認作石榴石或紅寶石。世界上只有三顆紅鑽超過5克拉，其中有一顆名爲“卡贊金紅鑽”，2010年曾在美國自然歷史博物館展出。