One of the most valuable blue diamonds ever put up for auction could fetch more than $48 million, according to Sotheby’s.
Dubbed “The De Beers Cullinan Blue,” it is the largest vivid blue diamond to be auctioned, according to a Sotheby’s press release released on Wednesday.
The 15.10 carat gem is also “the largest internally flawless vivid blue diamond” to be evaluated by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), the statement said.
Describing the diamond as “exceptionally rare”, Sotheby’s added that only five stones over 10 carats have ever been auctioned. None have ever exceeded 15 carats, “making the appearance of this jewel a landmark event.”
The rare diamond was found at the Cullinan Mine in South Africa in 2021 and achieved the highest ratings according to the standards by which colored diamonds are judged.
It was categorized as “fancy vivid blue” by the GIA – the highest possible color rating, which was awarded to no more than 1% of blue diamonds submitted to the organization.
The jewel has excellent polish, and is Type IIb, meaning it contains boron and therefore has a bluish-grey hue, according to the GIA website. Less than 0.5% of diamonds fall into this category.
“Blue diamonds of any kind are rare on the market, but this is the rarest of the rare; nothing remotely similar in caliber has come up for auction in recent years,” Patti Wong, president of Sotheby’s Asia, said in the statement.
“Hundreds of millions of years in the making, this extraordinary blue diamond is certainly one of nature’s finest creations. Now brought to life by the hand of one of the most skilled stonecutters in the world, it is the ultimate masterpiece – as rare and desirable as the greatest works of art.”
“At a time of unprecedented demand for the finest world-class colored diamonds, we are incredibly excited to bring to market what is sure to become one of the most celebrated gemstones in the world.”
Blue diamonds are coveted because of their rarity and striking color. The Cullinan Mine has produced a variety of valuable gemstones, including the 3,106-carat Cullinan Diamond discovered in 1905, which is the largest diamond ever recorded, according to the Cape Town Diamond Museum in South Africa.
“Josephine’s Blue Moon” is a 12.03 carat blue diamond that sold for $48.4 million in 2015. It still holds the auction record for the price per carat of any diamond or gemstone.
Other recent finds include “The Sakura,” a 15.81-carat pink-purple diamond that sold for $29.3 million at Christie’s in May of last year.
“The De Beers Cullinan Blue” is scheduled to be auctioned at an independent event at Sotheby’s Hong Kong Luxury Week in late April.
Source: CNN Brasil
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