THE MEDITERRANEAN BLUE
A Remarkably Rare Fancy Vivid Blue Diamond Weighing over 10 Carats
Estimated in the Region of US$20 Million
To be Unveiled Globally in Abu Dhabi on 8 April 2025
Ahead of its Auction in Geneva on 13 May 2025
Sotheby’s is set to present “The Mediterranean Blue”, a supremely rare and exceptional Fancy Vivid Blue diamond weighing 10.03 carats. In addition to receiving the highest possible colour grading for a blue diamond from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), The Mediterranean Blue has been found to be Type IIb, a classification which represents less than 0.5% of all diamonds. The stone’s exquisite cushion shape accentuates its exceptional saturation, placing it in a rarefied category even among the world’s most beautiful diamonds. This superb diamond will take center stage in Geneva during Sotheby’s High Jewelry Sale on 13 May and comes to the market for the first time with an estimate in the region of US$20 million / CHF 18 million.
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.
Announcing the sale of The Mediterranean Blue, Quig Bruning, Sotheby’s Head of Jewelry, Americas & EMEA, commented: “The Mediterranean Blue represents one of nature’s rarest gems. 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.”
“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 mesmerizing as is its blue colour, so rarely seen; only 0.3% 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 ct in the most coveted fancy-color range, are absolutely exemplary for a diamond,”
The Gemological Institute of America
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 color. The 31.94 carat rough diamond which yielded The Mediterranean Blue was studied for over 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, honoring 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% 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 US$48.5 million (US$4,028,941 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 HK$451 million / US$57.5 million in 2022 at Sotheby’s Hong Kong.
ROYAL ARTS VISIONS; THE MEDITERRANEAN BLUE