An extraordinary 55.22-carat ruby named Estrela de Fura broke records when it was sold at auction in New York for a staggering €32.3m.
Originally extracted from a raw 101-carat stone discovered last September at the Montepuez mine in Mozambique, the gem, handled by Fura Gems, was the star attraction at the Sotheby’s auction that showcased 100 items.
It was put on auction with a starting price of $21m, finally fetching $30m. After costs and commissions were added, the total came to $34.8m (€32.3m), paid by an anonymous telephone bidder.
This extraordinary jewel’s appearance on the market sparked excitement in the world of gemology. It had been displayed in Hong Kong, Taipei, Singapore, Geneva, Dubai, and New York.
“It’s a true wonder of nature,” explained Quig Bruning, Head of Jewellery for the Americas at Sotheby’s, speaking to AFP. He remarked that any ruby larger than five carats was rare, a 10-carat ruby was very rare, and a 20-carat ruby almost unheard of. A ruby over 50 carats was, he said, a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence.
In the same auction, “The Eternal Pink”, a rare 10.57-carat pink diamond from a mine in Botswana, sold for the equivalent price of $34.8m. This established a record price-per-carat ($3.29m) for a gemstone of this colour.
