- Title: Blue diamond and historic jewels to go to auction
- Date: 11th October 2016
- Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (OCTOBER 11, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MODEL POSING WITH 'THE SKY BLUE DIAMOND' CLOSE OF THE SKY BLUE DIAMOND MODEL POSING WITH RING ON FINGER CLOSE OF RING CAMERAMAN MODEL POSING WITH CAMERAMAN FILMING MODEL HOLDING RING CLOSE OF RING MODEL HOLDING RING (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHAIRMAN OF JEWELLERY DIVISION AT SOTHEBY'S, DAVID BENNETT, SAYING: "Blue diamonds are very much in the press these days. This time last year we sold the famous Blue Moon of Josephine, 12 carat cushioned vivid blue diamond, for $4million a carat. Extraordinary sum. This year we have this very beautiful ring. Its set with an eight carat emerald cut diamond. Emerald cut I think is the most flattering way of cutting coloured diamonds." VARIOUS OF MODEL HOLDING RING VARIOUS CLOSE OF DIAMOND (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHAIRMAN OF JEWELLERY DIVISION AT SOTHEBY'S, DAVID BENNETT, SAYING: "Blue diamond’s basically come from one reliable source in the world which is the famous Cullinan Mine in South Africa - it used to be known as the Premium Mine. And really nearly all the blue diamonds in the world come from there. This stone very likely did as well. The reason it's called 'The Sky Blue Diamond' - it's really pretty obvious when you look at it. It's the colour of summer sky with this beautiful brilliance and subtlety about the stone and it's mounted in this splendid diamond mount by Cartier which presents the stone I think extremely well. It lifts it off the finger. Light can come in at the back. It's a beautiful stone." MODEL HOLDING DIAMOND (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHAIRMAN OF JEWELLERY DIVISION AT SOTHEBY'S, DAVID BENNETT, SAYING: "Well, if you put this stone next to the one we sold for a record price last year you would see that they're different. They're both vivid blue but there is no vivid blue which looks identical to another one. Each one is an individual. And each particular tone of blue is different. That's what's so exciting, that's what I love about them. They're never the same. They're always subtly different. Each one has a personality which is completely distinct. So, you can't say this is like... It's obviously like it because it's a blue diamond but it's very different in many ways and this one I find to be particularly alluring. As I say partly because of the way it's cut. This emerald cut." MODEL BEING FITTED WITH DIAMOND NECKLACE THOUGHT TO HAVE BEEN COMMISSIONED BY EMPRESS CATHERINE THE GREAT OF RUSSIA CLOSE OF NECKLACE MODEL WEARING NECKLACE NECKLACE MODEL POSING WITH NECKLACE CLOSE OF NECKLACE (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHAIRMAN OF JEWELLERY DIVISION AT SOTHEBY'S, DAVID BENNETT, SAYING: "In the 1920's the Soviets decided to dispose of some parts of the Russian crown jewels and this necklace and brooch was sold in London in 1927 and were purchased and then resold to the family of the previous owner and so it's extraordinary that they're now appearing again at auction. They're part absolutely of Russian history." VARIOUS OF RUSSIAN IMPERIAL JEWELS (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHAIRMAN OF JEWELLERY DIVISION AT SOTHEBY'S, DAVID BENNETT, SAYING: "And the second necklace is composed of coloured diamonds - very extraordinary. Coloured diamonds which were apparently given by Catherine I of Russia in 1711 as an attempt to end the siege of Pruth. These jewels were presented to the Ottoman Sultan to try and end the siege which was successful. They were then passed into the Egyptian Royal Family. The Ottoman Royal Family and composed into a necklace, which is a necklace we're selling today in about 1870." VARIOUS OF RUSSIAN IMPERIAL JEWELS (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHAIRMAN OF JEWELLERY DIVISION AT SOTHEBY'S, DAVID BENNETT, SAYING: "They're basically for people who want the ultimately extraordinary, the ultimately rare. To be able to buy a piece coming from the crown jewels of Russia is a once in a lifetime opportunity." VARIOUS OF 'THE SKY BLUE DIAMOND'
- Embargoed: 26th October 2016 15:01
- Keywords: Auction diamond Russia UK
- Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK
- City: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVA00153KA2QH
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A rare fancy vivid blue diamond was displayed at Sotheby's in London on Tuesday (October 11).
Known as 'The Sky Blue Diamond' and weighing 8.01 carats the stone is mounted on a diamond ring by Cartier.
The gem to be sold as part of Sotheby's November auction 'Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels' and has a pre-sale estimate between $15-25 million.
"Blue diamonds are very much in the press these days. This time last year we sold the famous Blue Moon of Josephine, 12 carat cushioned vivid blue diamond, for $4million a carat. Extraordinary sum. This year we have this very beautiful ring. Its set with an eight carat emerald cut diamond. Emerald cut I think is the most flattering way of cutting coloured diamonds," said David Bennett, Chairman of Jewellery Division at Sotheby's.
'The Blue Moon of Josephine' was sold for $48.5 million in November 2015.
Bennett explained why the name 'The Sky Blue Diamond' was given to the gem.
"Blue diamond's basically come from one reliable source in the world which is the famous Cullinan Mine in South Africa - it used to be known as the Premium Mine. And really nearly all the blue diamonds in the world come from there. This stone very likely did as well. The reason it's called 'The Sky Blue Diamond' - it's really pretty obvious when you look at it. It's the colour of summer sky with this beautiful brilliance and subtlety about the stone and it's mounted in this splendid diamond mount by Cartier which presents the stone I think extremely well. It lifts it off the finger. Light can come in at the back. It's a beautiful stone," he said.
Sotheby's will also be auctioning two historic jewels associated with Russian rulers Peter the Great and Catherine the Great.
The suite contains jewels thought to have been gifted by Empress Catherine I (1684 - 1727), wife of Peter the Great, to Sultan Ahmed III of the Ottoman Empire to negotiate the end of the Siege of Pruth in 1711.
There is also a diamond necklace which is thought to have been commissioned as two separate pieces by Empress Catherine the Great (1729 - 1796) and has a pre-sale value of $3-5 million.
Sotheby's describes the imperial jewellery as being 'absolutely part of Russian history' with David Bennett further stating, "They're basically for people who want the ultimately extraordinary, the ultimately rare. To be able to buy a piece coming from the crown jewels of Russia is a once in a lifetime opportunity."
The auction takes place in Geneva on November 16th. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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