A fancy vivid 10-carat cushion-modified blue diamond – known as the Mediterranean Blue – will appear at Sotheby’s in Geneva on 13 May. As one of the largest blue diamonds in the world, it will enter the auction with a pre-sale estimate of $USD20 million ($AUD31.46 million).
The diamond was cut from a 31.94-carat rough discovered at the Cullinan Mine in South Africa in 2023. Quig Bruning, Sotheby's head of jewellery, said it was rare to see diamonds with these characteristics appear at auction.
"The Mediterranean Blue's remarkable size, charming cushion-cut and ocean-blue colour places it in the rarefied company of some of the most important blue diamonds to come to market in recent years," Bruning explained.
The Mediterranean Blue is expected to follow in the footsteps of the 14.62-carat Oppenheimer Blue, which sold for $USD57.8 million ($AUD90.92 million) at Christie’s in Geneva in 2016.
An excerpt from the Gemological Institute of America states that Mediterranean Blue possesses a rare blend of highly desirable characteristics.
“Diamonds are works of passion, and vessels for conveying the tales of the Earth’s soul and spirit, with blue diamonds drawing a special connectedness to the sea,” the excerpt reads.
“Their vibrant colour evokes the serene yet powerful essence of the deep waters, creating a striking visual parallel between the two. The Mediterranean Blue is a remarkable example of one of the rarest colour sensations observed in a diamond.”
The diamond will be displayed in Abu Dhabi, Tapei, Hong Kong, and New York as part of the lead-up to Sotheby’s High Jewellery Sale in May.
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