From a ‘pigeon blood’ ruby to an incandescent blue paraiba tourmaline, Sotheby’s recent auction items were quite the royal affair. Among the lots sold at the recent Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite Autumn Sale in Hong Kong, two opulent rings stood out.
The first is the Maniraja (“King of Jewels”) ruby – mounted and designed by acclaimed jeweller Bhagat. Unearthed from the legendary mines of Burma, the Maniraja weighs 13.26 carats and went for HK$81.7 million. Size aside, its most breathtaking feature is its vivid colour – the main factor that connoisseurs consider when assessing value. The deeper the hue, the more coveted the ruby. The Maniraja’s flawless cut intensifies its deep crimson, earning it the prestigious tag of ‘pigeon’s blood’. According to Burmese tradition, the finest rubies are the colour of a freshly killed pigeon’s first drops of blood. This rather ghastly metaphor has since been standardised by Swiss gemstone-certifying agencies.
While the paraiba tourmaline and diamond ring is less costly than its crimson counterpart, it’s still valued at HK$10 million. Since the stone was discovered in the 1980s, its mines in Brazil’s Paraiba state have been exhausted. For every 10,000 diamonds mined, there’s only one paraiba, making it truly one-of-a-kind.