New York—The upcoming auction season is definitely one for blue diamond lovers.
Sotheby’s has announced it will sell a group of eight fancy blue diamonds valued at more than $70 million total across its Magnificent Jewels auctions this year and into the spring.
“The De Beers Exceptional Blue Collection,” sourced and assembled by the diamond company, is appearing at auction for the first time.
The group is comprised of eight blue diamonds of various shapes and weights, ranging in size from a 1.22-carat oval brilliant-cut to an 11.29-carat step-cut diamond, for a total weight of 32.09 carats among them.
Three of the diamonds will be offered this year: the 5.53-carat stone will be a highlight of Sotheby’s Magnificent and Noble Jewels auction in Geneva on Nov. 9, while the 3.24-carat diamond and the 2.08-carat diamond will be offered in New York on Dec. 7.
The full list of the eight diamonds and their estimates are as follows.
–11.29-carat step-cut fancy vivid blue (estimated at $28 million-$50 million)
–5.53-carat cushion brilliant-cut fancy vivid blue (estimated at $11 million-15 million)
–4.13-carat step-cut fancy intense blue (estimated at $2.5 million-$3.5 million)
–3.24-carat cushion brilliant-cut internally flawless fancy vivid blue (estimated at $5 million-$8 million)
–3.10-carat cushion brilliant-cut fancy vivid blue (estimated at $4.5 million-$5 million)
–2.08-carat cushion-cut fancy intense blue (estimated at $1.2 million-$1.5 million)
–1.50-carat round brilliant-cut fancy intense blue (estimated at $750,000-$1 million)
–1.22-carat oval brilliant-cut fancy intense blue (estimated at $600,000-$800,000)
De Beers and Diacore jointly paid $40.36 million for five ɾօυɢҺ blue diamonds from the Cullinan mine weighing 85.62 carats totalin November 2020.
Over almost two years, Diacore cut and polished the five ɾօυɢҺ stones to create the eight blue diamonds in the collection Sotheby’s is now presenting.
They will be on display in Hong Kong from Oct. 17-19, followed by Singapore from Oct. 20-21, Taipei from Oct.26-27, and Geneva from Nov. 4-8.
“I have remained in awe of ‘The De Beers Exceptional Blue Collection’ since the first moment 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, so we are absolutely thrilled to be offering the first diamond of this superb collection as one of the star highlights of our Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels auction next month in Geneva. This important gem will, I am sure, captivate all collectors of exceptional gemstones.”
News of the diamond collection comes less than a week after the record-breaking sale of the “Williamson Pink Star” at Sotheby’s.
The 11.15-carat fancy vivid pink diamond sold formore than $57 millionin Hong Kong last Friday. With a per-carat sale price of ɾօυɢҺly $5.2 million, it now holds the price-per-carat record for any diamond or gemstone sold at auction.
Sotheby’s also sold the De Beers Blue in April, a 15.10 carat step-cut fancy vivid blue diamond thatwent for $57.5 million.
“The De Beers Exceptional Blue Collection” will be sold across Sotheby’s jewelry auctions this year and thɾօυɢҺ spring 2023.
