Diamonds are Forever: Sotheby’s Rare Diamonds Exhibit in Abu Dhabi

Sotheby’s lights up Abu Dhabi with a breathtaking display of brilliance. The auction house returns to Abu Dhabi for the first time in over 15 years with a unique exhibition of natural diamonds, the most extraordinary precious stones worth over $100 million. Open to the public and organised in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, this one-of-a-kind showcase at the Bassam Freiha Art Foundation offers collectors a rare chance to view some of the world’s most exceptional gems.

While many of the diamonds will be offered via an exclusive private sale, their convergence in a single space is nothing short of extraordinary (the exhibit will run through April 10) — a dazzling moment for collectors, connoisseurs, and those who appreciate that the world’s most exquisite diamonds are not only emblems of opulence, but breathtaking marvels of nature itself.

“It is an immense privilege for us to assemble such an extraordinary line-up of diamonds—superlative in both colour and size—for the first time,” said Quig Bruning, Sotheby’s Head of Jewels, Americas, Europe and the Middle East. This dazzling display not only celebrates gemological wonders, but also reflects Abu Dhabi’s growing cultural and luxury footprint on the global stage.

What’s on view? HD Fashion reports about the most exquisite Sotheby’s finds.

An array of precious stones

At the heart of the exhibition is The Mediterranean Blue, a 10.03-carat Fancy Vivid Blue diamond of extraordinary rarity and radiance. With an estimated value of $20 million, it is set to debut at Sotheby’s High Jewellery sale in Geneva on 13 May. Blue diamonds represent just 0.3% of all diamonds, and even fewer attain the coveted Fancy Vivid classification—an awe-inspiring natural marvel. 

Equally mesmerising is The Red Diamond, a 5.05-carat Fancy Brown-Red stone, among the rarest gems in existence. Cut from a 35-carat crystal unearthed in 1920s South Africa, its story is as compelling as its hue—confiscated by the Nazis during WWII from the Goudvis brothers and hidden in a salt mine, the gem was initially mistaken for a ruby. Authentic red diamonds are vanishingly rare, and this specimen is among the very few confirmed examples worldwide. 

Then comes The Desert Rose, a 31.68-carat Fancy Vivid orange-pink pear-shaped diamond celebrated for its remarkable intensity and luminous clarity—a true study in rarefied elegance. 

Towering above them all is The Golden Canary, weighing an astonishing 303.10 carats. The largest internally flawless diamond ever graded by the GIA, it was discovered in the 1980s in the Democratic Republic of the Congo by a young girl who found the original 890-carat rough—initially dismissed as rubble by miners. It was first cut into the famed 407-carat “Incomparable Diamond,” and later re-cut to intensify its hue, resulting in a breathtaking Fancy Deep Brownish Yellow gem, which made its public debut with Sotheby’s in Dubai before achieving $12.4 million at auction in New York.

Equally captivating is The Cartier, a statement necklace showcasing a 100.26-carat Fancy Deep Brown-Orange diamond set in 18k white gold and adorned with marquise and round diamonds totalling 98.19 carats. 

Meanwhile, The Fancy Light Pink Diamond features a 40.29-carat cut-cornered rectangular modified brilliant cut, elegantly flanked by a pair of trapeze-cut diamonds weighing a combined 1.98 carats.

The exhibition concludes with two exceptional Type IIa diamonds—ultra-rare stones known for their near-perfect chemical purity and exquisite optical transparency, comprising less than 2% of all gem-quality diamonds. The first is a 102.60-carat round brilliant-cut diamond, dazzling in both scale and scintillation, followed by a 100.20-carat emerald-cut D-colour diamond, a flawless embodiment of classic elegance and unmatched clarity.

Courtesy: Sotheby's

Text: Leilani Streshinsky