Sotheby’s will unveil The Mediterranean Blue – a remarkably rare, Fancy Vivid Blue diamond weighing more than 10 carats with its price estimated to be in the region of USD20 million – in a global launch in Abu Dhabi on April 8, ahead of the precious stone’s auction in Geneva on May 13.
The supremely rare and exceptional diamond has received the highest possible colour grading for a blue diamond from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and has been found to be Type IIb, a classification which represents less than 0.5 per cent of all diamonds.
The Mediterranean Blue’s exquisite cushion shape accentuates its exceptional saturation, placing it in a rarefied category even among the world’s most beautiful diamonds. The superb diamond will take centre stage in Geneva during Sotheby’s High Jewellery Sale on May 13.
The diamond will be unveiled in a special exhibition hosted at the Bassam Freiha Art Foundation, a visionary non-profit institution on Abu Dhabi’s landmark Saadiyat Island Cultural District. After that introduction, it will be showcased in Tapei, Hong Kong and New York before its exhibition and sale in Geneva.
“The Mediterranean Blue represents one of nature’s rarest gems,” said Quig Bruning, Sotheby’s Head of Jewellery, Americas and EMEA.
“Any vivid blue diamond is a discovery worth celebrating, but one as entrancing as this, particularly being over 10 carats, is a newsworthy event.
“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.
“We are likewise thrilled to be announcing this sale in the extraordinary confines of the Bassam Freiha Art Foundation, the architectural beauty of which is a perfect match for such a rare gemstone.”
The Gemological Institute of America added: “Like its namesake, the Mediterranean Blue is a symbol of nature’s eternal wonders.
“Its physical beauty, enhanced by the skill of a master cutter, is mesmerising as is its blue colour, so rarely seen; only 0.3 per cent of diamonds display a colour that would be described as predominately blue among all diamonds submitted to GIA annually and of those, only a small number are Fancy Vivid weighing 10 carats or more.
“The attributes of the Mediterranean Blue, weighing 10.03 carats in the most coveted fancy-colour range, are absolutely exemplary for a diamond.”
Fashioning any coloured diamond is a challenging task, requiring numerous decisions to balance the largest possible size, the best clarity, and the most vibrant face-up colour.
The 31.94-carat rough diamond which yielded The Mediterranean Blue was studied for more than a year after its discovery in South Africa in 2023. After a meticulous planning and cutting process lasting six months, the Mediterranean Blue was shaped into a cushion modified brilliant, honouring the gem’s status as both a timeless relic and a contemporary masterpiece.
Such a shape lends a soft, refined look, while the carefully positioned triangular and kite-shaped facets – characteristic of the brilliant cut – reflect light to create the captivating sparkle that makes this diamond come to life.
Although admiration of the colour blue is widespread among the general public, encountering a blue diamond is an incredibly uncommon occurrence. The principal mine to produce blues in more recent times, but with decreasing regularity, has been the Cullinan mine in South Africa, where The Mediterranean Blue was discovered. Less than 0.1 per cent of any diamonds sourced show any evidence of blue colour and an infinitesimally small percentage of those is graded Fancy Vivid Blue.
Cullinan has yielded many of the world’s most famous diamonds, including the 530-carat Great Star of Africa, the largest faceted colourless diamond in the world. Other extraordinary blues from the Cullinan mine include The Blue Moon of Josephine – a 12.03-carat cushion-shaped Internally Flawless Fancy Vivid Blue diamond that sold for USD48.5 million (USD4,028,941 per carat) at Sotheby’s Geneva in 2015, and more recently The De Beers Blue, a 15.10 step-cut Fancy Vivid Blue diamond, which sold for USD57.5 million in 2022 at Sotheby’s Hong Kong.
For more information, please visit www.sothebys.com.