Ahead of its auction in Geneva this May, where it is expected to fetch around €18.5 million, The Mediterranean Blue, an exceptionally rare 10.03-carat Fancy Vivid Blue diamond, will embark on a global tour with Sotheby’s, starting at the Bassam Freiha Art Foundation in Abu Dhabi next month.
The journey of The Mediterranean Blue began with the unearthing of a 31.94-carat rough diamond from South Africa’s legendary Cullinan mine in 2023. The mine has a storied history of producing some of the world’s most famous diamonds, including the 530-carat Great Star of Africa and The Blue Moon of Josephine, which sold for a staggering €45 million in 2015.
Boasting the highest possible colour grading for a blue diamond, as certified by the Gemological Institute of America, The Mediterranean Blue is classified as Type IIb, a rare designation given to less than 0.5% of all diamonds. This, combined with its exquisite cushion shape, which took experts months to shape, and VS2 clarity, places the jewel among the most incredible diamonds ever auctioned.
“The Mediterranean Blue represents one of nature’s rarest gems,” says Quig Bruning, Sotheby’s Head of Jewellery for the 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 colours place it in the rarefied company of some of the most important blue diamonds to come to market in recent years.”
The diamond will go to auction via Sotheby’s Auction House in Geneva on 13th May, where it is expected to achieve €18.5 million. Ahead of the sale, The Mediterranean Blue is heading off on a world tour, and its grand unveiling will take place in the prestigious Bassam Freiha Art Foundation on Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Island. After this premiere, it will make stops in Taipei, Hong Kong and New York before arriving in Geneva.
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Photo source: Sotheby’s New York Press Office