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value, beauty and carat weight, will be offered at auction by Sotheby’s of Hong Kong at the end of April 2022: it is “The De Beers Cullinan Blue Diamond”, weighing 15.10 carats, estimated to be worth more than 48 million dollars USA / 380 million HK$, an extraordinary natural treasure and one of the most precious blue diamonds ever auctioned. Impeccable colour, cut and clarity, The De Beers Cullinan Blue has reached extremely high classifications in each of the standards according to which the quality of a coloured diamond is judged. It has been classified Fancy Vivid Blue by the Gemmological Institute of America (GIA), the highest possible classification of colour, assigned to no more than 1% of the blue diamonds presented to the GIA. It also boasts an exceptional clarity, having been declared internally impeccable by the GIA; in addition, it has excellent shine and is type IIb, a rare category which represents less than 0.5% of all diamonds. The charm of the diamond is increased by its classic step cut, a style usually associated to white diamonds, which is highly sought after in rare colours. Blue diamonds of this importance are exceptionally rare, because only five specimens of more than 10 carats have been sold at auction, none of which have exceeded 15 carats, making the offer of this impeccable gem a key event in itself.
In alto/Top: The Memory of Autumn Leaves, Fancy Vivid Blue diamond,14.54 cts, Internally Flawless. Sopra/above: The Oppenheimer Blue, Fancy Vivid Blue diamond,14.62 cts, VVS1 Clarity.
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