Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels auction sold a 55.22-carat Mozambique ruby, titled ‘Estrela de Fura’, for $34.8 million on 8 June in New York.
The ruby has fetched a world-record auction price for any coloured gemstone. It is also the largest ruby to be sold at any auction with $630,288 per carat price. Its pre-auction estimate was more than $30 million. The ruby and other precious jewels to be auctioned were previously displayed in Dubai last month.
The rough stone was first discovered in Montepuez, Mozambique in July last year. Discovered in mines operated by United Arab Emirates-based Fura Gems, the stone weighed 101 carats at the time of discovery. After careful polishing, the 55.22-carat ruby was named ‘Estrela de Fura’ (‘Star of Fura’ in Spanish). In a little over a decade, Mozambique has become a leading producer of world-class rubies. Fura Gems, established in 2009, was one of the first companies to start mining operations in the country.
The ‘Eternal Pink’, a fancy-vivid-purplish-pink diamond set the second record in the auction. The cushion-cut, 10.57-carat, internally flawless diamond was sold for $34.8 million, translating to $3.3 million per carat. This is both a world-record total and an unprecedented per-carat price. It had a presale estimate of $35 million. The diamond was discovered by De Beers at the Damtshaa mine in Botswana. Diacore cut and polished it.
The New York sale set a couple of auction records for the auction house – it was the first time two gemstones sold for more than $30 million in the same auction. The auction achieved a total of $95.9 million, which is a record for a Sotheby’s New York jewellery sale. (Photo courtesy: Sotheby’s)
21/06/2023
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