A Huge Ruby Was Recently Sold For A Record Price
An enormous 55.22-carat ruby known as the Estrela de Fura, believed to be the largest ruby ever auctioned, has been sold in New York for $34.8 million.
Sotheby's confirms that this amount sets a new record for the stone.
Originally listed with a starting price of $21 million, the precious stone was sold for $30 million. The final price, including taxes and commissions, paid by the anonymous phone bidder amounted to $34.8 million.
The ruby, cut and shaped from a 101-carat rough stone discovered in September at the Fura Gems-operated mine in Montepeuz, Mozambique, was the highlight of the 100-lot jewelry sale.
While a Sotheby's spokesperson revealed that the buyer of the jewelry is a "private collector from the Middle East," no further details were disclosed.
Previously, the record for a ruby sale was held by a 25.59-carat Burmese ruby, which fetched $30.33 million, including tax, at a Sotheby's auction in Geneva in 2015.
A Ruby Over 50 Carats: A Once-in-a-Lifetime Gem
The sale of this exceptionally rare gem, which was showcased in Hong Kong, Taipei, Singapore, Geneva, Dubai, and New York, marks a significant milestone in the jewelry industry.
"It is a true wonder of nature. Any ruby that is unearthed and grows to over five carats as a polished gem is already rare. A 10-carat ruby is very rare. 20 carats is almost unheard of. A ruby over 50 carats is a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence," explained Quig Bruning, head of Sotheby's Americas jewelry department, in an interview with AFP.
In the same auction session, another remarkable gem called "The Eternal Pink," a rare 10.57-carat pink diamond mined in Botswana, also sold for $34.8 million, setting a per-carat record of $3.29 million for a diamond of this color.
The highest sale price for a pink diamond was achieved in Hong Kong in 2017 when the "Pink Star" (59.60 carats) was purchased for $71.2 million.
PHOTO: Estrela de Fura (Youtube - screenshot)
