fancy intense blue diamond – The Diamond Certification Laboratory of Australia (DCLA)

The 10.3 Carat ‘Mediterranean Blue’ Diamond Could

Sotheby’s to Auction Exceptionally Rare 10.3-Carat Fancy Vivid Blue Diamond

Fancy vivid blue diamonds exceeding 10 carats are among the rarest gemstones in the world, and Sotheby’s is set to present one at its High Jewellery sale in Geneva on 13 May.

Known as “The Mediterranean Blue,” this extraordinary 10.3-carat fancy vivid blue diamond – the highest grading for a blue diamond – has been assessed by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) with a VS2 clarity rating. It is also classified as a Type IIb diamond, a category that accounts for less than 0.5% of all diamonds, according to the auction house.

This cushion-shaped modified brilliant diamond is expected to be a highlight of the auction, with an estimated value of around $20 million.

“Any vivid blue diamond is a significant discovery, but one as mesmerising as this, especially over 10 carats, is truly newsworthy,” said Quig Bruning, Sotheby’s Head of Jewellery, Americas & EMEA. “The Mediterranean Blue’s remarkable size, elegant cushion cut, and striking ocean-blue hue place it among the most important blue diamonds to appear on the market in recent years.”

Before the auction, The Mediterranean Blue will be unveiled on 8 April at the Bassam Freiha Art Foundation in Abu Dhabi, a remarkable dune-shaped architectural structure. This non-profit institution, founded by philanthropist and art collector HE Bassam Said Freiha, houses an extensive collection of Orientalist art. The foundation is located on Saadiyat Island, home to renowned cultural landmarks such as the Louvre Abu Dhabi and the upcoming Guggenheim Museum. This marks Sotheby’s first public exhibition in Abu Dhabi since 2009, with further details on the unveiling to be announced in the coming weeks.

A Diamond of Remarkable Origin
Sotheby’s revealed that The Mediterranean Blue was cut from a 31.94-carat rough diamond, discovered in 2023 at the Cullinan mine in South Africa. The transformation into a finished gem involved a year of meticulous study, followed by six months of precise planning and cutting.

Blue diamonds of substantial size and exceptional quality rank among the most valuable gemstones ever sold at auction. In fact, two of the three most expensive diamonds ever auctioned were blue diamonds. Most of these rare gems originate from the Cullinan mine, which has produced some of the world’s most famous diamonds, including the 530-carat Great Star of Africa, the largest faceted colourless diamond ever discovered.

Historic Blue Diamonds from the Cullinan Mine
Other legendary blue diamonds sourced from the Cullinan mine include:

The Blue Moon of Josephine – A 12.03-carat, cushion-cut, internally flawless fancy vivid blue diamond, which sold for $48.5 million (over $4 million per carat) at Sotheby’s Geneva in 2015.
The De Beers Blue – A 15.10-carat, step-cut fancy vivid blue diamond, which fetched $57.5 million at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in 2022.
The De Beers Millennium Blue – A 10.10-carat, oval-shaped, internally flawless diamond, which sold for $31.8 million at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in April 2016.
The Oppenheimer Blue – A 14.62-carat fancy vivid blue diamond that holds the world auction record for a blue diamond at $57.5 million, sold by Christie’s in Hong Kong in May 2016.
According to the GIA, only 0.3% of all diamonds submitted for grading annually exhibit a predominantly blue colour, and of these, very few are classified as fancy vivid blue weighing over 10 carats.

“The attributes of The Mediterranean Blue, weighing 10.3 carats and sitting within the most sought-after fancy colour range, make it a truly exceptional diamond,” the GIA stated in Sotheby’s announcement.

This extraordinary gem is expected to draw significant attention from collectors and investors when it goes under the hammer in Geneva this May.

5.72-ct Blue Diamond Sells for $8.8m

A 5.72 carat fancy intense blue diamond beat its high estimate and sold for $8.8m yesterday (10 December) at Christie’s New York.

The cushion brilliant cut VVS1 stone, set in a platinum ring with round diamonds, was the highlight of the Magnificent Jewels auction.

The price realized was $1,539,336 per carat. The pre-sale estimate was $6m to $8m.

The second highest price was for a pair of Harry Winston spinel and diamond earrings. They sold for $2,228,000â€”four times their high estimate of $600,000.

The sale raised a total of $49.2m, with 97 per cent of the 179 lots finding buyers.

Rahul Kadakia, Christie’s international head of jewelry, said: “Today’s sale in New York was a testament to the vibrant market for jewelry of the highest caliber with singular provenance.

“We were particularly pleased with the result of the top lot – a fantastic fancy intense blue diamond ring that sold for $8.8m.”

The Fancy Color Research Foundation gave the blue diamond a visual score of 8 out of 12 in its pre-sale analysis, noting its low color dispersion.

It said: “True Face-Up: Equivalent to that of a 9.15 carat which is ~59.9 per cent larger than the average

“Analysis: A Fancy Intense Blue Cushion brilliant-cut diamond, polished as a classic colorless diamond, probably manufactured during the 1960s or 1970s.

“The diamond’s inner-grade is very strong, and modifying its facet alignment could increase its saturation to vivid. No significant gray undertone is present in the color.”

Source: IDEX

Slower Growth for Fancy Colour Diamond Prices

Fancy colour diamonds saw slower growth in the last three months, with an increase of just 0.5 per cent in the FCRF Index, which tracks prices across all colours, sizes and intensities.

That compares with a 1.3 per cent rise during the first quarter of 2023, as reported by the New York-based Fancy Colour Research Foundation, with the biggest increases among yellows.

During Q2, yellows diamonds again drove the increase, with a rise of 6.5 per cent across all categories. Pinks were up 0.2 per cent and blues rose by 0.6 per cent.

The FCRF noted that fancy colour diamonds had again out-performed white diamonds, which saw prices fall 3.5 per cent during the quarter.

Board member Eden Rachminov said: “The first six months of 2023 were intriguing. We experienced notable spikes in certain sub-categories within the yellow category, particularly in the intense and vivid grades with a high inner-grade.

“Meanwhile, the blue and pink categories remained stable. If the world economy continues to maintain its positive momentum, we can anticipate a robust price behavior after the summer.”

The FCRF tracks pricing data for fancy colour diamonds in Hong Kong, New York, Geneva and Tel Aviv.

Source: IDEX

Bulgari Laguna blue diamond could fetch $28m in auction

A rare 11.16 carats fancy vivid blue diamond could fetch between 22 to 25 million Swiss francs ($24 to $28 million) when it goes under Sotheby’s hammer next week in Geneva.

Named the Bulgari Laguna Blu, the pear-shape cut diamond boasts a rich blue hue that the auction house qualifies as “extraordinary” and “mesmerizing”.

It is the highest grade blue diamond ever graded by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and the third-largest pear-shaped fancy vivid blue diamond to ever go for sale on an auction, according to Olivier Wagner, head of jewellery at Sotheby’s Geneva.

The gem, first exhibited at the famous Met Gala fashion show in New York on Monday, is expected to attract the interest from global collectors.

Fancy colour diamond prices up 3.9% in 2022

*Only one in 10,000 diamonds found are coloured, according to the Gemological Institute of America.*

Average prices for fancy coloured diamonds of any size climbed by 3.9% in 2022, led by yellows and pinks, the Fancy Color Research Foundation (FCRF), a non-profit that promotes transparency and fair trade in the market, said on Wednesday.

The industry body said prices for all yellow diamonds climbed by 4.6% from the previous year, followed by a 3.9% rise in pinks and 1.8% in blues.

The improved prices reached by these diamonds, the FCRF said, contrast with the annual decline in white diamonds prices.

“2022 was a very good year for yellow fancy colour diamonds in all sizes and saturations. It seems like yellow diamonds with high visual grades and in certain shapes increased by more than what is reflected in the Index,” FCRF data supplier, Israel Papushado, said in a statement.

“Pink fancy colour diamonds performed with no significant change in comparison to previous years; however, blue diamonds did not perform as expected, probably due to limitations in the Chinese market,” he noted.

The prices reported by the FCRF are based on its own Fancy Colour Diamond Index, which is built on tracked data for yellow, pink, and blue fancy colour diamonds’ performance in major global trading centres such as Hong Kong, New York, Geneva and Tel Aviv.

Nature bestows fancy colours on about one in every 10,000 rough diamonds of gem quality that are mined around the world.

The precious stones that can be blue, pink or green form a special asset class, relying on a consumer preference for exotic and unusual items. This also means they are less affected by other factors driving supply and demand in the main diamond market.

Source: Mining.com

$15M Blue Diamond to Hit Christie’s Auction Block

A blue diamond pendant will be among the headliners in next month’s Christie’s sale in New York, where it is expected to bring in up to $15 million.

The pear modified brilliant-cut, 31.62-carat, fancy-blue stone, surrounded by white and pink diamonds, is potentially internally flawless, Christie’s said Tuesday. A pear brilliant-cut, 86.64-carat, D-color, VVS1-clarity diamond pendant will join it at the December 6 Magnificent Jewels sale. That piece, which hangs from a chain of 78 diamonds between 0.50 and 2.50 carats, is estimated at $5 million to $7 million.

Other notable items include a torque bangle bracelet bearing a heart brilliant-cut, 50.05-carat, D-color, internally flawless diamond, with a presale price of $3.7 million to $4.5 million. A modified pear double rose-cut, 5-carat, fancy-vivid-blue diamond ring has an upper estimate of $4 million and no reserve. An oval brilliant-cut, 51.60-carat, G-color, VS2-clarity diamond ring carries a high price of $2.8 million.

Christie’s will also offer an unmounted modified pear brilliant-cut, 104.04-carat, fancy-intense-yellow diamond. That jewel has an upper estimate of $2.5 million, as does a round-cornered square brilliant-cut, 107.46-carat, fancy-yellow diamond brooch by Graff. Meanwhile, an emerald-cut, 13.75-carat, fancy-vivid-yellow, internally flawless diamond ring by De Beers and an oval brilliant-cut, 2.21-carat, fancy-intense-blue diamond ring are set to fetch up to $1.8 million each.

Those items join the star of the show: An emerald-cut, 13.15-carat, fancy-vivid-pink diamond ring that Christie’s expects will fetch up to $35 million at the auction.

Source: Diamonds.net

De Beers Blue Diamond Fails to Sell at Sotheby’s

A blue diamond weighing 5.53 carats failed to find a buyer at Sotheby’s Geneva on Wednesday despite being billed as the star of the auction.

The cushion brilliant-cut, fancy-vivid-blue diamond is part of an eight-piece group called the De Beers Exceptional Blue Collection, which Sotheby’s has spread between its various Magnificent Jewels sales. No bids matched the stone’s threshold price for sale, according to a post-auction report by the Fancy Color Research Foundation (FCRF). The piece carried a presale estimate of $11 million to $15 million.

“The blue is an exceptional stone in every sense,” Sotheby’s told Rapaport News Thursday. “It attracted significant interest prior to yesterday’s sale. While we didn’t get to see it sell in the room last night, we are confident it will find a new home very soon.”

Meanwhile, a number of items set records at the November 9 sale, including a 20.16-carat sapphire and diamond ring from Cartier. That piece, which fetched $2.8 million against a high estimate of $2 million, saw a record price per carat for any blue sapphire of Burmese origin ever sold at auction. A 20.58-carat, pink sapphire ring also broke the record for per-carat price, bringing in $1.9 million, or $91,690 per carat, well above its $808,368 upper price tag. A pink sapphire and diamond brooch weighing 92.01 carats by Jean Schlumberger sold for $1.8 million, outstripping its $505,278 high estimate and setting a record price for a piece of jewelry by the designer.

Another notable item at the sale was a pair of unmounted oval-cut, D-flawless diamonds weighing 20.03 and 20.19 carats. The duo fetched $4.2 million, within estimates. A step-cut, 33.13-carat, D-color, VVS1-clarity diamond ring by Cartier brought in $2.9 million, also within its expected range.

The entire Geneva Magnificent Jewels auction garnered $50 million. Sotheby’s will offer two more blue diamonds from the De Beers collection at its upcoming New York Magnificent Jewels sale on December 7.

Source: Diamonds.net

Collection of Blue Diamonds to Fetch Over $70M

Sotheby’s will sell a group of eight fancy-blue diamonds from De Beers across its global Magnificent Jewels auctions, expecting the set to bring in more than $70 million.

The stones are cut in various shapes and range from 1.22 to 11.29 carats, with a total weight of 32.09 carats, Sotheby’s said last week. The polished originates from five rough blues that De Beers and Switzerland-based manufacturer Diacore purchased jointly from Petra Diamonds in November 2020. Diacore cut and polished those stones into eight diamonds over the past two years.

Sotheby’s will offer three stones from the eight-piece group, called The De Beers Exceptional Blue Collection, this year. The first, a cushion brilliant-cut, 5.53-carat, fancy-vivid blue diamond will go under the hammer at the Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels sale in Geneva on November 9, with a high estimate of $15 million. Meanwhile, the December 7 Magnificent Jewels sale in New York will feature a cushion brilliant-cut, 3.24-carat, fancy-vivid blue, internally flawless diamond estimated at up to $8 million. That jewel will be joined by a cushion-cut, 2.08-carat, fancy-intense-blue diamond with an upper price tag of $1.5 million.

“I have remained in awe of the De Beers Exceptional Blue Collection since the first moments I set eyes on it,” said Olivier Wagner, head of Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels auctions in Geneva. “The market for colored diamonds and precious gemstones has never been stronger. [The diamonds] will, I am sure, captivate all collectors of exceptional gemstones.”

Sotheby’s will sell the remaining five diamonds at its spring 2023 Magnificent Jewels auctions. Those include a step-cut, 11.29-carat, fancy-vivid-blue estimated at up to $50 million; a step-cut, 4.13-carat, fancy-intense-blue expected to go for up to $3.5 million; and a cushion brilliant-cut, 3.10-carat, fancy-vivid-blue diamond with a high price of $5 million.

In April, Sotheby’s sold another De Beers blue diamond: a step-cut, 15.10-carat, fancy-vivid-blue, internally flawless stone that went for $57.5 million in Hong Kong.

Source: Diamonds.net

De Beers Cullinan Blue Diamond Could Bring $48M at Auction

Sotheby’s will auction a stone described as “the largest vivid blue diamond ever to appear at auction” on April 27 in Hong Kong.

Sotheby’s estimates that it could bring $48 million.

The 15.1 carat step-cut blue was cut from a rough stone discovered in April 2021. It is “the largest internally flawless step cut vivid blue diamond that the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has ever graded,” according to a press statement.

“This diamond ranks as one of the best De Beers has ever seen,” said Bruce Cleaver, CEO of De Beers Group. “It is extremely rare and unique, and as the Home of Diamonds, De Beers is pleased to join together with Sotheby’s to bring this diamond to the world.”

Only five blue diamonds over 10 carats have ever come to auction, Sotheby’s notes. Until now, none has exceeded 15 carats.

“Blue diamonds of any kind are rare on the market, but this is the rarest of the rare; nothing of remotely similar calibre has appeared at auction in recent years,” says Patti Wong, chairwoman of Sotheby’s Asia. “Hundreds of millions of years in the making, this extraordinary blue diamond is surely one of nature’s finest creations.”

The diamond comes from the Cullinan mine in South Africa.

Source: instoremag

20-Carat ‘Okavango Blue’ Diamond Goes on Display

The public can now feast their eyes on a big blue diamond thanks to New York’s American Museum of Natural History. The museum opened an exhibition Tuesday showcasing the “Okavango Blue,” a 20.46-carat oval-cut fancy deep blue diamond on loan from Okavango Diamond Company, which is wholly owned by the government of Botswana.

It has been given a VVS1 clarity grade from GIA. The diamond came from Botswana’s Orapa mine and is the largest of its kind found in the country to date. The Okavango Blue was named after Botswana’s Okavango Delta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site of global importance for biological conservation and diversity. It’s the first time the diamond is on view to the public and sits at the center of a larger presentation about diamonds from Botswana, exploring industrial uses for diamonds and how Botswana runs its diamond industry as well as educating about the different characteristics of diamonds like size, shape, color, and quality. Botswana is the second-largest producer of natural diamonds in the world, behind Russia. Previous

The Okavango Blue Diamond, pictured here in the center display, is part of a presentation about the variety of natural diamonds found in Botswana. (Photo credit: D. Finnin/©AMNH) — The Okavango Blue Diamond, pictured here in the center display

Next “Our natural diamond resources are managed responsibly in a manner that puts the people of Botswana first,” said Okavango Diamond Company Managing Director Mmetla Masire. “There is a strong sense of local pride knowing that these diamonds are improving the lives of Batswana, with profits directly reinvested in education, infrastructure, and public health. “We are so pleased to share with the world the larger story of the diamond industry of Botswana. The Okavango Blue is not just an ordinary 3-billion-year-old polished carbon element, but rather a physical embodiment of the passing of time, a fragment of eternity. Our diamonds tell the rich history and unique journey of Botswana’s development.” The exhibition sits in the Melissa and Keith Meister Gallery in the museum’s new Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals, which reopened in June after a major renovation. The Okavango Blue and its corresponding Botswana diamonds exhibition will run for six months, AMNH confirmed.

Source: nationaljeweler