AuctionsApr 29, 2025
‘Golconda Blue’ Diamond Pulled From AuctionAuctionsMay 06, 2025
Harwell Godfrey Reimagines 10-Carat Blue Diamond for Met Gala-Ready Brooch
Designer Lauren Harwell Godfrey made the piece as an homage to the 2025 gala’s theme, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.”
Jewelry designer Lauren Harwell Godfrey created this brooch using “The Mediterranean Blue,” a 10-carat blue diamond, inspired by the theme of this year’s Met Gala, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.” At left is Godfrey’s sketch, while the finished brooch is pictured at right.
New York—If you’re a jewelry designer who’s given the opportunity to design around an incredible 10-carat blue diamond for The Met Gala, New York’s annual homage to fashion, what do you do?
If you’re Lauren Harwell Godfrey, the answer is, you absolutely crush it.
On Monday, as celebrities were making their way up the steps of The Metropolitan Museum of Art in a soggy New York City, Godfrey announced via Instagram that Frank Everett, vice chairman of Sotheby’s Jewelry, Americas, had asked her to create a piece of jewelry as a tribute to theme of the 2025 Met Gala, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.”
He told her she’d be working with a very special stone—a 10.02-carat fancy vivid blue diamond mined in South Africa and dubbed “The Mediterranean Blue.”
The diamond is estimated to sell for up to $20 million when it goes up for auction at Sotheby’s next week.
If you’re Lauren Harwell Godfrey, the answer is, you absolutely crush it.
On Monday, as celebrities were making their way up the steps of The Metropolitan Museum of Art in a soggy New York City, Godfrey announced via Instagram that Frank Everett, vice chairman of Sotheby’s Jewelry, Americas, had asked her to create a piece of jewelry as a tribute to theme of the 2025 Met Gala, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.”
He told her she’d be working with a very special stone—a 10.02-carat fancy vivid blue diamond mined in South Africa and dubbed “The Mediterranean Blue.”
The diamond is estimated to sell for up to $20 million when it goes up for auction at Sotheby’s next week.
The result—a sleek and stylish 18-karat gold brooch with black onyx that is trademark Harwell Godfrey and would have worked with the outfit of almost any 2025 Met Gala attendee (though the brooch was not actually worn to the event).
“I designed the brooch inspired by royal medals, reimagined through an African diasporic lens—sharp geometry, symbolic black onyx, and this once-in-a-lifetime gem at its center,” Godfrey said, adding that it is “an heirloom for Black royalty made with an African diamond.”
Black onyx is the same material the designer chose for another jewel that carried special meaning, her heart pendant created in the summer of 2020, in the thick of the Black Lives Matter protests sweeping the nation, that benefitted the NAACP.
Related stories will be right here …
“I designed the brooch inspired by royal medals, reimagined through an African diasporic lens—sharp geometry, symbolic black onyx, and this once-in-a-lifetime gem at its center,” Godfrey said, adding that it is “an heirloom for Black royalty made with an African diamond.”
Black onyx is the same material the designer chose for another jewel that carried special meaning, her heart pendant created in the summer of 2020, in the thick of the Black Lives Matter protests sweeping the nation, that benefitted the NAACP.
The Mediterranean Blue diamond is being offered as a highlight of Sotheby’s High Jewelry sale, which is scheduled to take place in Geneva May 13.
When news about the diamond’s sale was first announced, the stone was pictured loose and set in a simple four-prong ring as a solitaire.
A Sotheby’s spokesperson confirmed Tuesday that the Mediterranean Blue will be presented as a ring in Geneva, not in the Harwell Godfrey-designed brooch.
Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, the spring 2025 exhibition at The Met’s Costume Institute, officially opens May 10 and will be on view through Oct. 26.
The exhibition is an examination of Black style over 300 years through the concept of dandyism, exploring the importance of style to the formation of Black identities in the United States and Europe.
More on Auctions
The Latest
MajorsOct 23, 2026
PGI USA Set to Close at Year’s EndThe closure is part of a global restructuring that also includes PGI winding down its operations in Japan, South Korea, and Hong Kong.
SourcingOct 23, 2026
Rachel Chalchinsky’s ‘Survivor Tribute’ RingThe ring, our Piece of the Week, was designed by eight-year breast cancer survivor Rachel Chalchinsky of Color Source Gems.
TechnologyOct 23, 2026
JA Unveils New Website, LogoThe website offers enhanced member benefit access, industry directories, educational resources, a job board, and access to the MJSA Journal.
Brought to you by
A Diamond Is Forever Launches 2026 Holiday Campaign Championing Natural DiamondsA Diamond Is Forever's holiday campaign reimagines natural diamond icons for a new generation celebrating individuality.
FinancialsOct 23, 2026
Kering’s Jewelry Sales Up Double Digits in Q3Boucheron and Pomellato had a strong third quarter, with Kering looking at jewelry as an increasingly important part of its portfolio.
Weekly QuizOct 22, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
CrimeOct 22, 2026
Jeweler Shot and Killed in His Suburban Cincinnati Store Tara Sinchuri was the owner of Everest Jewels in Fairfield, Ohio, and a father of three. He was found dead in his store on Tuesday.
MajorsOct 22, 2026
Neiman Marcus Has Gifts for the Jewelry Lover Who Has EverythingBespoke experiences from Buccellati and Verdura are on the retailer’s 2026 “Fantasy Gifts” list.
Brought to you by
Open an Account, Get $50 Off Your First Order. No Code Needed.Built on Relationships. Refined by Craft.
Events & AwardsOct 22, 2026
JIS Fall 2026 Reports Record-Breaking Attendance The number of participants at the fall show was up 12 percent.
CollectionsOct 22, 2026
Billie Eilish, Finneas Co-Design Collection for John HardyThe Academy and Grammy award-winning siblings have collaborated with John Hardy on a new jewelry line inspired by their personal style.
PodcastsOct 21, 2026
Episode 10: This Episode Is Haunted Diana Singer shared the stories of two “cursed” diamonds on this month’s podcast, which was inexplicably riddled with technical issues.
IndependentsOct 21, 2026
Gardner-Collier Jewelry to Close After 9 Decades in BusinessThe family-owned jeweler has three locations across Missouri and Iowa.
SourcingOct 21, 2026
Venetia Mines Final Carats Ahead of 2-Year ShutdownThe De Beers-owned diamond mine in South Africa is being put on ice as part of a round of previously announced cost-cutting measures.
CollectionsOct 21, 2026
Helzberg, Nordstrom Carrying New Jewelry Collection From Off-WhiteThe collection centers designs with clean geometric lines, chunky sculptural pieces, and recognizable details from the luxury fashion brand.
SourcingOct 21, 2026
Gemfields’ Mixed-Quality Ruby Auction Earns $52MThe miner said it saw particularly strong prices for larger, fine-quality rubies at the sale.
CrimeOct 20, 2026
Security Guard Charged With Murder in Shooting at Texas MallThe guard opened fire on a man who was smashing a jewelry display case at La Gran Plaza in Fort Worth last week, police said.
IndependentsOct 20, 2026
David Gardner’s Jewelers Unveils Newly Expanded, Revamped ShowroomThe Texas jeweler added 2,000 square feet to its reimagined showroom, complete with a new design studio and an event space.
SourcingOct 20, 2026
The $50M Victoria’s Secret ‘Fantasy Bra’ By The NumbersJacob & Co.'s diamond masterpiece is the most expensive Fantasy Bra ever worn on the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show runway.
CollectionsOct 20, 2026
Mignon Faget’s Collection Chooses Handmade Over AIThe “Atelier” collection was inspired by the tools, rituals, and objects in an artist’s studio as a quiet rebuttal to an automated world.
MajorsOct 19, 2026
The Knot to Acquire Rival Wedding Planning Platform ZolaThe pending acquisition is an “exciting opportunity” for wedding vendors to grow their business, said The Knot Worldwide’s CEO.
SourcingOct 19, 2026
Jewelry Design Competition Show Airs in Thailand"The Secret Gems" features eight Thai jewelry brands paired with a team of young craftspeople who create jewelry together to win challenges.
CollectionsOct 19, 2026
John Hardy Enters the Medallion Chat With Talisman Collection The brand’s “Modern Talisman” capsule collection introduces pendants inspired by the mythology, natural world, and spiritual ethos of Bali.
IndependentsOct 19, 2026
The Stories of 5 Jewelers Celebrating Their Centennials in 2026Independent jewelers from New Mexico to New Jersey answer the question: What has kept your store in business for 100 years?
SurveysOct 16, 2026
How Inflation, Gas Prices Will Affect Holiday Sales The NRF is expecting holiday sales to increase this year, but consumers and retailers alike are facing Grinch-like headwinds.
CollectionsOct 16, 2026
Christina Puchi’s Earrings Hold the UniverseOur Piece of the Week gathers the planets, represented by a variety of colored gemstones, in a pair of 14-karat yellow gold earrings.
IndependentsOct 16, 2026
Reeds Jewelers Expands, Relocates FlagshipThe New York-based jeweler is moving its Amherst flagship store to a larger location in nearby Snyder.
MajorsOct 16, 2026
Katy Chen Appointed Executive Vice President of Graff USA Chen, who worked at Cartier and Tiffany & Co., will lead retail sales and operations for the luxury jeweler’s 11 U.S. stores.
