SourcingJun 02, 2025
Gemfields’ June Auction to Include 36-Carat RubyThe large stone will be offered at its June sale along with a selection of secondary-type rubies from a new area of the Montepuez mine.
AuctionsMar 14, 2016
10-Carat Blue Diamond to Fetch $35M
The fancy vivid “De Beers Millennium Jewel 4,” once part of a group of diamonds De Beers gathered to mark the millennium, will be up for auction at Sotheby’s Hong Kong.
Blue diamonds, like the De Beers Millennium Jewel 4 that Sotheby’s will put up for auction next month, owe their color to boron impurities.
Hong Kong--The largest oval-shaped fancy vivid blue diamond ever to appear at auction is expected to fetch $35 million this April at Sotheby’s.
The “De Beers Millennium Jewel 4” is a 10.10-carat oval-shaped internally flawless fancy vivid blue diamond that originally was part of the De Beers Millennium Jewels, the collection the company unveiled in 2000 to commemorate the occasion.
The collection was comprised of 12 rare and valuable diamonds from the Cullinan Mine in South Africa that took decades to assemble and included the 203.04-carat “Millennium Star.” Nine out of the 11 blue diamonds in the collection were graded by the Gemological Institute of America as being fancy vivid.
To date, only one diamond out of the dozen has ever come onto the open market, Sotheby’s said. The auction house sold the “De Beers Millennium Jewel 11,” a 5.16-carat internally flawless pear-shaped fancy vivid blue diamond, in April 2010 in Hong Kong.
Now part of an Asian private collection, the fancy vivid blue De Beers Millennium Jewel 4 will be the second stone from the collection to hit the market when it goes up on the auction block April 5 in Hong Kong at Sotheby’s sale of Magnificent Jewels & Jadeite.
“There have been fewer and fewer new rough diamonds discovered over the last decade that produce this color,” said Tom Moses, executive vice president and chief research and laboratory officer at the GIA. “Most of the recent diamonds offered for sale in this category are coming from private collections, not diamond mines.”
The diamond has a pre-sale estimate of $30 to $35 million. The current world record for a diamond sold at auction is $48.5 million and is held by the Blue Moon of Josephine, a 12.03-carat cushion-shaped internally flawless fancy vivid blue diamond sold at Sotheby’s Geneva last November.
This 4.08-carat fancy vivid orange diamond ring has a pre-sale high estimate of $1.8 million.
Also part of Sotheby’s April 5 sale in Hong Kong is an “exceptional” jadeite ring, which is expected to sell for up to $4.5 million.
An unheated Burmese ruby and diamond bracelet made by Cartier Paris circa 1920 could fetch between $480,000 and $680,000.
More on Auctions
The Latest
GradingJun 02, 2025
GSI Opens New Lab in Thailand Located in Bangkok, the laboratory is Gemological Science International’s 14th location worldwide.
TrendsJun 02, 2025
Amanda’s Style File: Three Gems for June Those born in June have a myriad of options for their birthstone jewelry.
Brought to you by
The True Power Behind the Counter: Why Sales Associates Are the Heart of the Jewelry BusinessWhen investing in your jewelry business, it's important not to overlook the most crucial element of success: the sales associates.
SourcingJun 02, 2025
David Allouche Joins Grandview Klein DiamondsThe diamond industry veteran has been named its senior sales executive.
Weekly QuizMay 30, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
FinancialsMay 30, 2025
Movado’s Q1 Sales Slip Amid ‘Challenging’ Retail Environment The company plans to raise the prices of select watches to offset the impact of tariffs.
Policies & IssuesMay 30, 2025
Tariffs & Designers: Navigating Pricing in an Unstable EnvironmentBetween tariffs and the sky-high cost of gold, designers enter this year’s Las Vegas shows with a lot of questions and few answers.
Brought to you by
Clienteling Isn’t a Buzzword. It’s an Essential Business Model.More shoppers are walking out without buying. Here’s how smart jewelers can bring them back—and the tool they need to do it right.
CollectionsMay 30, 2025
Piece of the Week: Renato Cipullo’s ‘Hematite Blaze’ NecklaceDesigned by founder Renato and his daughter Serena Cipullo, it showcases a flame motif representing unity and the power of gathering.
Policies & IssuesMay 30, 2025
Trade Court Declares Trump’s Tariffs InvalidHowever, the tariffs remain in effect in the short term, as an appeals court has stayed the U.S. Court of International Trade’s decision.
CollectionsMay 29, 2025
Britney Spears Files Trademark for New Jewelry LineThe pop icon is one step closer to launching her “B Tiny” jewelry collection, a collection she first began posting about last fall.
Supplier BulletinMay 29, 2025
Inoveo Platinum Grain, Exclusively Distributed by StullerSponsored by Stuller
SourcingMay 29, 2025
Grizzly Auctions 6,620-Carat EmeraldIt was featured in the miner’s latest sale, which brought in $24.8 million.
TechnologyMay 29, 2025
GemFind Launches AI Product Description SoftwareGemText AI uses artificial intelligence to generate tailored product titles, descriptions, and tags with jewelry-specific language.
MajorsMay 28, 2025
Graff Unveils New Las Vegas FlagshipThe 3,300-square foot location is the jeweler's largest store in North America.
CrimeMay 28, 2025
8 Convicted in Kim Kardashian Jewelry Heist TrialAging and with myriad health issues, none will serve time for their roles in robbing the billionaire celebrity at gunpoint in 2016.
CollectionsMay 28, 2025
NY Liberty’s 2024 Championship Rings Honor Historic WinThe WNBA team received rings imbued with meaning, from leaf motifs and its Liberty torch to the number of diamonds used.
MajorsMay 28, 2025
Andrew Rickard Named JBT PresidentA longtime executive at RDI Diamonds, Rickard has served on the JBT board for the past five years.
MajorsMay 27, 2025
MJSA to Become Part of Jewelers of America The two organizations have signed an affiliation agreement that’s expected to be finalized in the coming weeks.
TrendsMay 27, 2025
Amanda’s Style File: Candy-Colored GemstonesGet a taste of the delicious candy-like gemstones in this Amanda’s Style File.
CrimeMay 23, 2025
JSA Shares Holiday Weekend Security Tips Amid Spike in BurglariesJSA’s Scott Guginsky provided a list of nine security measures jewelers should observe while locking up for the long weekend.
CollectionsMay 23, 2025
Piece of the Week: Bliss Lau’s ‘Bright’ RingFrom Lau’s “Love of a Kind” series, the engagement ring was inspired by the moon and holds a different meaning depending on how it is worn.
GradingMay 23, 2025
GIA Updates Pearl Classification SystemThe lab has adjusted the scale it uses for nacre grading.
Supplier BulletinMay 22, 2025
How to Put Natural Diamonds Back in the SpotlightSponsored by GCAL by Sarine
CrimeMay 22, 2025
NY Jeweler Sentenced in Shoving Death of Colleague at IJO ShowDavid Walton will serve three years’ probation after an incident in a hotel bar led to the death of West Virginia jeweler David Ettinger.
FinancialsMay 22, 2025
Watches of Switzerland’s Full-Year U.S. Sales Climb 14% The retailer also provided an update on how the tariffs situation in the U.S. is affecting its business.
IndependentsMay 22, 2025
Adeler Jewelers Celebrates 50 YearsThe family-owned jeweler in Great Falls, Virginia, will be celebrating its golden jubilee with a year’s worth of events.
