An extraordinary 15.10 carat step-cut blue has been cut from an exceptional rough stone discovered in April 2021 at the Cullinan Mine (previous blog).
The De Beers Cullinan Blue, an extraordinary natural treasure and one of the most valuable blue diamonds ever to be offered at auction. Its name comes from its origin, the Cullinan mine, and purchased by De Beers (previous blog).
In its masterfully crafted, newly formed state, it now re-emerges 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 (GIA) has ever graded. Blue diamonds of this importance are exceptionally rare, with only five examples over 10 carats ever having come to auction, none of which have exceeded 15 carats, making the appearance of this flawless gem a landmark event in itself.
It has been graded Fancy Vivid Blue by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) – the highest possible colour grading, awarded to no more than 1% of blue diamonds submitted to the GIA. It also boasts exceptional clarity, having been declared Internally Flawless by the GIA; in addition to which, it was found to have excellent polish and to be of Type IIb, a rare category which represents less than 0.5 % of all diamonds.
Adding to the diamond’s allure is its classic step-cut – a style most associated with white diamonds – that is immensely sought-after in rare colors.
Perfect according to every critical criterion, The De Beers Cullinan Blue has achieved the highest rankings under each of the standards by which the quality of a colored diamond is judged.
The just smaller Oppenheimer Blue, Emerald cut Fancy Vivid Blue Diamond, 14.62ct was sold at Christie's on 18 May 2016 for 58.2Millions, we can consider this as a bargain!(previous blog)