Auction house Sotheby’s will showcase two notable Paraíba tourmalines from Mozambique, weighing 71.24 and 72.84 carats, at its upcoming high jewelry auction in Hong Kong, described by Kat Florence as the largest flawless, unheated matched pair ever to be auctioned.
Lab reports highlight rarity
The lot is estimated to fetch HK$3 million to HK$4 million, or roughly $382,500 to $637,500. Earlier this year, the Gübelin Gem Lab awarded the set an “Outstanding” score. According to the lot listing on the Sotheby’s website, the 72.84-carat stone received a rating of 90.6 points, while the 71.24-carat stone received a rating of 92.1. In June, the French gem lab Bellerophon also examined the set and granted it a Bellerophon Privilege Award.
The designation is “extremely rare,” awarded only to untreated collector’s items that showcase a rare combination of size, clarity, and color, according to the lab.
“The possession of such a pair of natural Paraíba tourmalines is a truly significant privilege,” Bellerophon Gemlab founder and CEO Martial Curti said.
“Exceptional in both size and quality, these magnificent Paraíba tourmalines represent extraordinary rarity.”
The stones were cut from an 830-carat rough crystal that Florence’s husband, gem hunter Don Kogen, recovered in 2003 from the Mavuco district of Mozambique’s Nampula province. The massive crystal also yielded a 182-carat Paraíba tourmaline that sold for approximately $487,000 at a Bonhams auction last year.
Sotheby’s upcoming High Jewelry auction in Hong Kong also will feature another piece from Kat Florence, a necklace set with a flawless 424.80-carat tanzanite and surrounded by D flawless princess- and brilliant-cut diamonds.
In February, Gübelin Gem Lab analyzed the tanzanite, granting it an “Outstanding” grading with a score of 91.9. The necklace is estimated to achieve HK$2 million to HK$2.8 million ($255,000 to $357,000).
The matched pair and the necklace are the designer’s eighth and ninth record-holding pieces to go to auction.
“The ‘Kat Florence Lumina’ matched pair and the Kat Florence Tanzanite necklace hold global recognition for their rarity, size, color, clarity, and cut in a way never before seen in the world of Paraíba and tanzanite gemstones,” said the Kat Florence Atelier.
Florence is based in Canada and, in addition to being a jewelry designer, owns The Kat Florence Hotel in Elora, Ontario. The hotel is in a historic building that dates to 1848 and features an evolving collection of rare Kat Florence gemstones displayed throughout its limestone walls.
Sotheby’s High Jewelry auction will take place in Hong Kong on Sept. 17. More information on the sale is available online.
