THE MELLON BLUE – Fancy Vivid Blue pear-shaped cut diamond of 9.51 carats. UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR US$25.59 MILLION
The Mellon Blue, a blue diamond of 9.51 carats with an estimate of $20-30 million will lead Christie’s sale of magnificent jewels in Geneva on November 11. One of the finest coloured diamonds to appear on the market the stone – then set as a pendent – belonged to Rachel Lambert Mellon, better known as Bunny Mellon (1910-2014), an American horticulturalist, philanthropist, and art collector. Bunny Mellon was a symbol of elegance and sophistication whose taste extended to jewellery selected with the same care and sensitivity brought to interiors and gardens. Bunny Mellon’s horticultural vision can be seen at the White House. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy asked Mellon to redesign the White House Rose Garden where Mellon created more open space for public ceremonies and introduced American species of plants to the garden. Elsewhere, in France, Mellon created a landscape design for the home of Hubert de Givenchy, who was a close friend, and assisted with the restoration of the “Potager du Roi” at the Chateau de Versailles. Graded Internally Flawless and recently set as a ring the diamond is remarkable for both its intense colour and its extraordinary purity.