Vast 10.3-Carat 'Mediterranean Blue' Diamond Expected to Bring in $20 Million at Auction
🤘💔 Get the lowdown on Sotheby's auction gem: 💔🤘
Get ready for the love-at-first-sight moment of your life! On May 13, Sotheby's is set to offer a treasure that makes the heart flutter - a gorgeous 10.3-carat fancy vivid blue diamond, dubbed "The Mediterranean Blue."
"The Mediterranean Blue" showcases the highest grade for a blue diamond, earning an impressive VS2 clarity grade from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). Not to mention it's a rare Type IIb diamond, a classification that comprises less than 0.5% of all diamonds, according to the auction house.
Diamonds of this color and carat weight are truly unicorns among gems. In a world where only 0.3% of diamonds display a predominantly blue hue, "The Mediterranean Blue" stands head and shoulders above.
The cushion-shaped modified brilliant gem is expected to four-finger-worthy prices, with an estimate of about $20 million. Sotheby's head of Jewelry, Americas & EMEA had this to say, "Any vivid blue diamond is a discovery worth celebrating, but one as stunning as this, particularly being over 10 carats, is a newsworthy event."
Aw, shucks, you say? Well, don't be shy about it! "The Mediterranean Blue" is stunning, with its remarkable size, captivating cushion-cut, and breath-taking ocean-blue color. Seeing it among the ranks of some of the most important blue diamonds in recent years is like a dream come true.
Before the auction date, the diamond will make its grand entrance at the Bassam Freiha Art Foundation, an architectural marvel based in Abu Dhabi, intriguingly shaped like a dune. The non-profit institution, home to works from the Orientalist art movement, was established by philanthropist and art collector, HE Bassam Said Freiha. Catch a glimpse of "The Mediterranean Blue" on April 8, 2025, during Sotheby's first public exhibition in Abu Dhabi since 2009.
But here's the kicker, "The Mediterranean Blue" started out as a 31.94-carat rough diamond, discovered in the Cullinan mine in South Africa in 2023. Over a year of love and labor went into the cutting and polishing process—not to mention a six-month period of careful planning and study—culminating in this stunning, mesmerizing marvel.
As if that wasn't enticing enough, have a gander at some already fabulous blue diamonds that led the market in value:
- "The Blue Moon of Josephine": This 12.03-carat cushion-shaped internally flawless fancy vivid blue diamond broke records when it sold for $48.5 million (more than $4 million per carat) at Sotheby’s Geneva in 2015.
- "The De Beers Blue": This 15.10 step-cut fancy vivid blue diamond fetched a stunning HK$451 million ($57.5 million) in 2022 at Sotheby's Hong Kong.
Who knows, folks? "The Mediterranean Blue" just might make history yet again!
ℹ️ Insights:Be advised, the quoted sale prices for "The De Beers Blue" and "The Mediterranean Blue" are placeholders, as the actual auction dates have yet to be held.
[1] Sotheby's Announcement[2] [ gem zone ][3] [ Forbes ]
This captivating 10.3-carat fancy vivid blue diamond, named "The Mediterranean Blue," will be showcased at Sotheby's auction in Geneva on May 13, 2022. This gem is not only part of the rare Type IIb classification, comprising less than 0.5% of all diamonds, but it also originates from the Cullinan mine in South Africa. With an estimate of about $20 million, "The Mediterranean Blue" is expected to rival the abovementioned records set by gems like "The Blue Moon of Josephine" and "The De Beers Blue." Commencing its tour at the Bassam Freiha Art Foundation in Abu Dhabi on April 8, 2025, this extraordinary diamond is undoubtedly worth a closer look.
