Image credit: Sotheby's
The De Beers' Cullinan blue diamond has been auctioned for HK$450.9 million at Sotheby's in Hong Kong. The 15.1 carat, fancy vivid blue diamond was sold on 27 April 2022 evening to an unnamed buyer.
Blue diamonds of this kind are exceptionally rare as only five 10-carat+ stones ever have come to auction. To date, none have exceeded 15 carats, which makes this flawless gem a landmark event in itself.
The blue diamond was cut from a historical rough stone discovered in April 2021. The diamond has re-emerged as the largest vivid blue diamond ever to appear at auction and the largest internally flawless step-cut vivid blue diamond that the Gemological Institute of America has ever graded.
The diamond was discovered at the Cullinan Mine in South Africa in 2021, one of the very few sources in the world for extremely rare blue diamonds.
Aruna Gaitonde, Editor in Chief of the Asian Bureau, Rough&Polished
