Editor’s Note
This article highlights the recent display of a remarkable collection of rare diamonds by Sotheby’s in Abu Dhabi, featuring an exceptionally valuable 10-carat blue diamond.
World-renowned auction house Sotheby’s recently displayed a collection of rare diamonds in the United Arab Emirates, including a 10-carat blue diamond. The auction house expects this precious blue diamond to fetch a high price of $20 million at an auction next month.
According to the Associated Press, the diamonds were publicly displayed in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, on April 8. There are eight diamonds in total, with a combined weight of over 700 carats, including red, yellow, pink, and colorless diamonds. The total estimated value of these jewels is $100 million.
Sotheby’s stated in a declaration that the rare diamonds on display include the world’s largest flawless diamond, the second-largest known red diamond to date, and several diamonds weighing over 100 carats.
Agence France-Presse reported that these gemstones were exhibited alongside luxurious jewelry, including a necklace set with white diamonds featuring a pendant with a 100.26-carat pear-shaped brown diamond.
The center of attention is a 10-carat blue diamond named “Mediterranean Blue”. Originating from South Africa, it is considered one of the most significant blue diamonds discovered to date.
This blue diamond is scheduled to be displayed and auctioned in mid-May in Geneva, Switzerland. Sotheby’s estimates it could sell for $20 million. Prior to that, it will be showcased in a tour of cities including Taipei, Hong Kong, and New York.
Quig Bruning, Head of Jewelry for North America, Europe, and the Middle East at Sotheby’s, stated that blue diamonds are among the rarest in the world. The company chose Abu Dhabi for this exhibition due to the strong interest in diamonds in this Persian Gulf country. He considers the Persian Gulf region to be at the core of the luxury market.
The resource-rich and largely tax-free Persian Gulf region has long attracted high-net-worth individuals and the super-rich.
Sotheby’s pointed out that in 2022, the company auctioned a blue diamond named “The De Beers Cullinan Blue” in Hong Kong for $57,471,960, placing it among the highest-priced diamonds ever sold at auction.
Its auction price approached the world record held by a blue diamond known as the “Oppenheimer Blue”. The “Oppenheimer Blue” set the record for the highest auction price of a blue diamond in 2016, selling for $57,541,779.
