The "Infinite Blue," a radiant-cut fancy vivid stone weighing 11.28 carats, fell short of its low estimate but still made a significant impact.
Blue diamonds, highly coveted for their rarity, fetched millions at Sotheby’s auction, coming close to the $26 million projected sale price.
During the auction at Sotheby's Hong Kong location on Thursday, the star lot was "The Infinite Blue" diamond—a radiant-cut fancy vivid blue gem weighing 11.28 carats set on a diamond ring adorned with pink-tinted brilliant-cut diamonds. Despite falling just short of the estimate, the stone secured an impressive $25.3 million, ranking as the third-highest sale for a blue diamond in Asia's auctions.
Sotheby’s literature describes the diamond as "crafted and cut featuring the incorporation of the number eight," a symbol of prosperity in Asia. Graded as a fancy vivid blue by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), this color designation stands as the highest achievable, granted to merely one percent of reviewed blue diamonds. Furthermore, experts noted its "excellent polish" and Type IIb quality, a rare category encompassing less than 0.5 percent of all diamonds.
Examining the stone closely, its radiant-cut design combines elements of a classic emerald cut with triangular and kite-shaped facets of a brilliant cut, creating a more contemporary style. With a rectangular outline typical for showcasing fancy-color diamonds, the Infinite Blue's table entices viewers into its sparkling blue hues through its pavilion facets.
The discovery of blue diamonds in modern times is exceptionally rare, with the Cullinan mine in South Africa being the sole consistent source. While reports suggest a decline in its output over the last decade, the site has yielded three fancy vivid blue diamonds. These include The Blue Moon of Josephine, a 12.03-carat gem that fetched $48.5 million in 2015; the Oppenheimer Blue, weighing 14.62 carats, sold for $57.5 million in 2016; and most recently, The De Beers Blue, a record-breaking 15.1-carat stone, the largest of its kind to hit auctionsold for $57.5 million in 2022.
Paul Rowley, De Beers' executive vice president, expressed, "The Infinite Blue stands as one of the most exquisite diamonds I've encountered in my 40 years in the diamond industry. Witnessing such marvels of nature continue to captivate within the realm of fine jewelry is truly remarkable."
Wenhao Yu, leading jewelry and watch sales at Sotheby’s Asia, remarked, "Being entrusted with a diamond of such breathtaking beauty has been an honor. Its valuation attests to the unwavering demand among global collectors for top-tier quality colored diamonds."
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