One of the world's rarest diamonds is up for auction - for an expected £15million.
The Mediterranean Blue is an striking blue diamond ring with a weight exceeding ten carats.
The gemstone falls under category IIb, an exclusive classification that encompasses just 0.5 percent of all diamonds globally. Its distinctive color is attributed to minute quantities of boron and enhanced by the cushion-shaped cut.
Experts claim that the Mediterranean Blue is "an outstanding instance of one of the most uncommon color phenomena seen in a diamond."
It was made from a 31.94 carat raw diamond found in the Cullinan mine. South Africa in 2023, Sotheby's said, and was shaped into a cushion modified brilliant following a six-month cutting process.
The Cullinan Mine has been the origin of numerous renowned diamonds worldwide, such as the 530-carat Great Star of Africa, which holds the title for being the biggest colorless cut diamond globally.
On the market for the first time, the Mediterranean Blue will take centre stage at Sotheby's High Jewelry Sale in Geneva on May 13.
The diamond will be unveiled in a special exhibition hosted at the Bassam Freiha Art Foundation on Abu Dhabi's landmark Saadiyat Island Cultural District.
It will then be showcased in Tapei, Hong Kong and New York before its sale in Geneva.
The Gemological Institute of America has described the Mediterranean Blue as a 'symbol of nature’s eternal wonders'.
'Its physical beauty, enhanced by the skill of a master cutter, is mesmerizing as is its blue colour, so rarely seen', it added.
Sotheby's Head of Jewelry for the Americas & EMEA Quig Bruning said: 'The Mediterranean Blue represents one of nature's rarest gems. Any vivid blue diamond is a discovery worth celebrating, but one as entrancing as this, particularly being over 10-carats, is a newsworthy event.
'The Mediterranean Blue's remarkable size, charming cushion-cut and ocean-blue colour places it in the rarefied company of some of the most important blue diamonds to come to market in recent years.
'We are likewise thrilled to be announcing this sale in the extraordinary confines of the Bassam Freiha Art Foundation, the architectural beauty of which is a perfect match for such a rare gemstone.'
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