Sotheby’s Hong Kong is offering the 11.28-carat ‘Infinite Blue’ diamond on 5 October in a sale that may generate as much as $US37 million ($AU57 million).
The Infinite Blue is a Type IIb diamond graded by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) as fancy vivid, the highest possible colour grade for blue diamonds.
“To say the Infinite Blue is special cannot be overstated,” the GIA report reads.
“This glorious and notable diamond is an example of what can occur when nature leads the way, and humankind embraces the Earth’s treasures — producing a radiant gemstone of spirited light performance.”
Discovered in the Cullinan Mine in South Africa, the Infinite Blue is one of few blue diamonds above 10 carats that have appeared at auction.
The 12-carat internally flawless Blue Moon of Josephine was sold at auction in 2015 for $US48.5 million ($AU74.84 million). The 14-carat Oppenheimer Blue was sold for $US57.5 million ($AU88.72 million) in 2016.
“The Infinite Blue’s carat weight of 11.28 has been cut intentionally to include the number eight, a symbol of prosperity deeply revered in Asia, where the diamond will be auctioned,” writes Grant Mobley of Only Natural Diamonds.
“The figure-eight, with its harmonious loops interconnecting seamlessly, also embodies the universal symbol of infinity – a gesture that elevates the Infinite Blue into a symbol higher than any mere object.”
In the past year, the 15-carat De Beers Blue was sold for $US57.4 million ($AU88.57 million).
The Infinite Blue is set in a ring with a pink diamond halo and white diamond side stones.
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