The De Beers Cullinan Blue - 15.10 Carat Rare Blue Diamond Anticipated to Sell For USD 48 Million at Auction

Rare, Large & Blue - Almost a miracle

 "Blue is the only color which maintains its own character in all its tones. It will always stay blue." quipped the famous French Fauvist painter Raoul Dufy. Add a rare & large diamond to this blue and you have one of the most mesmerizing entities of nature - the De Beers Cullinan Blue. Sotheby's showcases The De Beers Blue, a magnificent natural wonder and one of the most precious blue diamonds ever sold at auction. This stunning 15.10 carat step-cut blue sapphire was carved from a remarkable raw stone found in April 2021. It now re-emerges as the biggest vivid blue diamond ever offered at auction, as well as the largest internally perfect step cut vivid blue diamond graded by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). Blue diamonds of this stature are very uncommon, with just five exceeding ten carats ever sold at auction and none exceeding fifteen carats, making the emergence of this perfect stone a historic event in and of itself.

The Source - South Africa's Cullinan Mine

The diamond was found in 2021 in South Africa's Cullinan Mine, which remains one of the world's few sources of rare blue diamonds. Following the discovery of the rough, the De Beers Group collaborated with Diacore to cut and polish the rough, resulting in the creation of The De Beers Cullinan Blue.

Luxury in Blue

Cullinan Blue is a true luxury with over 15 carats and a Fancy Vivid blue colour. The De Beers Cullinan Blue, which will be sold at Sotheby's in April 2022, is expected to break records with an estimate of more than USD 48 million. Apart from its artistic qualifications, the De Beers Cullinan Blue is the biggest bright blue diamond ever sold at auction.

The De Beers Cullinan Blue sale–a watershed moment

Sotheby's stated lately that it would showcase The De Beers Cullinan Blue, which it claims is the most precious blue diamond ever sold at auction. The 15.10-carat step-cut blue diamond, estimated to be worth in excess of USD 48 million (HK$380 million), was just cut from an extraordinary raw stone found in April 2021.

The blue diamond, in its polished and cut condition, is presently the biggest Fancy Vivid blue diamond ever sold at auction and the largest internally flawless step-cut Fancy Vivid blue diamond to be graded by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA).

Sotheby's - A champion multimillion-dollar blues seller

Sotheby's is a purveyor of blue diamonds, having previously presented a number of magnificent blue diamonds, but this particular stone is the most elusive of them all. Only five samples over ten carats have ever been offered at auction, and none have ever topped fifteen carats.

Traveling the globe in search of a new owner

The extraordinary blue diamond will go on a worldwide tour, beginning in New York and concluding in London, Dubai, Singapore, Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, and Taipei, where it will be presented in a stand-alone, single lot live auction at Sotheby's Hong Kong Luxury Week.

Indeed, this is a rare blue diamond auction

As per Patti Wong, Chairman of Sotheby's Asia, blue diamonds of any sort are uncommon on the market and this happens to be the rarest of the rare. Patti also confirmed that nothing of remotely comparable grade has shown at auction in recent years.

Wenhao Yu, Chairman of Jewellery and Watches at Sotheby's Asia also added that the De Beers Cullinan Blue stands as a proud masterpiece, bestowed by nature with the colours of the sky and sea and polished by a bold, unique, and masterful step-cut.

He also mentioned that Cullinan Blue is among the rarest of stones in perhaps the most coveted of hues-strong and vibrant, but serene and majestic–undoubtedly ranking among the natural world's greatest marvels.

Diamond investments are at an all-time high

The epidemic has only served to highlight the market's strength for significant stones.

Investors seeking hard assets have propelled the diamond market to never-before-seen heights during the last two years. As per experts in the business in the year 2021, Hong Kong sales were driven entirely by diamond items, especially colourful diamonds, which are extremely high in demand.

Hong Kong's Competitive Advantage

Hong Kong was not arbitrarily chosen as the location for the auction of the Cullinan Blue or the De Beers Blue by Sotheby's. By 2020, Asian collectors will account for more than 40% of global watch sales and 41% of global jewellery sales, according to Yu. "Most recently, in July 2021, Sotheby's Hong Kong set the record for the highest price paid in bitcoin for a piece of jewellery or gemstone. The 101.38-carat pear-shaped D Flawless was sold in a single-lot auction for USD12.3 million to an anonymous private collector.

Source: https://www.sothebys.com/