Image Source: Christie’s
The 24.18 carat Cullinan Dream, the largest fancy intense blue diamond ever to be offered at auction, could go as high as $29 million at Christie’s New York on June 9. A couple of weeks ago, the 14.62 carat Oppenheimer Blue set a new world record for any jewel sold at the auction when it yielded $57.5 million at Christie’s in Geneva.
Even though the Cullinan Dream is almost 10 ct larger than the Oppenheimer Blue, it will likely sell for about a half price of the Oppenheimer. This is because the Cullinan Dream’s fancy intense blue color, VS2 clarity and Type IIb purity rating lies below the Oppenheimer Blue’s fancy vivid blue color, VVS1 clarity and Type IIa purity rating.
Nevertheless, the Cullinan Dream is a very special diamond. Billed as the top lot of Christie’s Magnificent Jewels auction at Rockefeller Plaza, the Cullinan Dream is the largest of four polished diamonds cut from a 122.52 carat rough stone discovered by Petra Diamonds at its famed Cullinan Mine in South Africa back in June of 2014. Petra reportedly sold the rough diamond for an incredible $ 23.5 million.
A master gem cutter meticulously analyzed the rough gem to determine the best yield. He produced four large sized diamonds: a cushion cut gem of 7 carats, a radiant cut gem of 10.30 carats, a pear shaped gem of 11.30 carats, and finally , the Cullinan Dream , a cut – cornered mixed cut gem of 24.18 carats.
Set as a ring, the June 9 headliner is flanked by tapered baguettes in a platinum mounting inscribed “Cullinan Dream.” The baguettes have a total weight of 2.36 carats.
Discovered in 1902, the Cullinan Diamond Mine is famous for being the source of many of the world’s most famous diamonds, including a 3,106.75 carat Cullinan Diamond that produced the 530.20 carat pear-shaped diamond known as the Star Of Africa, the largest polished white diamond in existence. This diamond is housed in the Tower of London as part of the Crown Jewels of England.
We are just a few days away from the event, all we have left is to wait and see what the numbers will be. The auction is offering a total of 260 lots, including exceptional fancy colored and colorless diamonds, colored gemstones, and natural pearls, as well as signed pieces from private collections and estates , including Buccelatti, Cartier, Graff, Tiffany & Co, Van Cleef and Arpels and more.