A blue-diamond ring will headline an upcoming auction at Christie’s in Geneva, where it is expected to fetch up to $30 million.
The piece, called the Mellon Blue, contains a pear-shaped, 9.51-carat, fancy-vivid-blue, internally flawless diamond, Christie’s said Friday. It will feature in the November 11 Magnificent Jewels sale.
Having previously been set in a pendant, the jewel belonged to Rachel Lambert Mellon — better known as Bunny Mellon — a horticulturalist, philanthropist and art collector, and the daughter of Gillette company president Gerard Barnes Lambert. Her paternal grandfather, Jordan Lambert, was the inventor of Listerine. Through her work as a horticulturalist, Mellon’s garden designs can be seen at the White House, as well as at the Palace of Versailles.
Prior to being recut to improve its clarity, the diamond was sold for $32.6 million at Sotheby’s in 2014, setting a world record price for a blue diamond at that time.
“After a very strong first half for Christie’s jewelry department…we are now looking confidently to the second half of 2025 by announcing The Mellon Blue,” said Rahul Kadakia, international head of jewelry for Christie’s. “This stunning fancy-vivid-blue diamond, which once belonged to America’s ‘Garden Queen’…is amongst the finest colored diamonds to appear for sale at auction.”
Christie’s will preview the jewel in Saudi Arabia, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Bangkok and New York.
Image: The Mellon Blue diamond. (Christie’s)