Farnese Blue diamond fetches $6.7m at Geneva auction Published duration 16 May 2018

image copyright EPA image caption The Farnese Blue diamond passed down through generations of royal families

A rare blue diamond that has spent the past 300 years in Europe's royal houses has been sold at auction in Geneva for $6.7m (£5m).

The Farnese Blue was given as a wedding present to Elizabeth Farnese, daughter of the Duke of Parma, when she married Philip V of Spain in 1715.

It then passed down through the generations, moving from Spain to France, Italy and Austria.

The 6.1 carat diamond comes from the famous Golconda mine of India.

It sold after just four minutes of bidding at Sotheby's, easily passing the auction house's estimate of $3.5m-$5m.

"We were expecting a good result but we started from $3.5m and we ended up with $6.7m, so we exceeded our expectation," said Sotheby's jewellery specialist, Daniela Mascetti.

"Good jewels, well-designed, well-made, with a signature, with a perfect... slot in time, in age, do very well."

The identity of the new owner has not been revealed.