55.22-carat ruby heads to auction with US$30-million estimate (Jewellery Business – April 12, 2023)

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A record-breaking pigeon-red ruby is paced to fetch a pretty penny when it goes under the hammer at Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels this June.

Dubbed “Estrela de Fura” (“Star of Fura” in Portuguese), the 55.22-carat cushion-cut gem is the largest ruby ever brought to auction. The stone, which was cut from a 101-carat rough recovered in Mozambique by Toronto-based mining group, Fura Gems, carries a pre-show estimate of $40.4 million (US$30 million).

First unveiled seven months ago, the rough stone has been lauded for its vivid red hue, fluorescence, and high clarity. It is believed to be the largest gem-quality ruby on record, Fura Gems reports.

Following a series of studies of the rough crystal, the ruby was cut and faceted by a team of artisans into a cushion-shaped stone, which, according to a report from the Swiss Gemmological Institute (SSEF), “resulted in vivid red hues due to multiple internal reflections.”

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