De Beers Group Institute of Diamonds to Spotlight 'The Cullinan Dream' Blue Diamond at Christie's Event

De Beers Group Institute of Diamonds is preparing to educate consumers on the specialist art of fancy colour diamond grading at its upcoming collaborative exhibition with Christie’s, which will feature several exceptionally rare stones.
Leading the ‘Rare Treasures of the Earth’ exhibition is The Cullinan Dream, a 24.18 carat fancy intense blue VS2 rectangular-shaped diamond that was graded as entirely natural and untreated by De Beers Group specialists.

At the exhibition, fancy colour diamond grading experts and educators from De Beers Group Institute of Diamonds, part of De Beers Group Industry Services, will be on-hand to explain why its consistently strong blue colour is such an unusual feat of nature.

The Cullinan Dream also boasts impressive provenance, having been drawn from the Cullinan mine in South Africa (formerly known as the Premier mine). This location is internationally recognised as a source of large, high-quality gem diamonds, including Type II stones, as well as being the world’s most important source of very rare blue diamonds.
Other fancy colour diamonds graded by De Beers Group Institute of Diamonds for the exhibition are a fancy vivid pinkish purple diamond of 2.01 carats, a fancy purplish red diamond of 1.09 carats, and a fancy vivid bluish green diamond of 1.42 carat. With over 130 years of diamond grading experience, De Beers Group uses a combination of
proprietary technology and skilled human graders to assess diamonds that are exclusively natural and untreated. Its colour grading is conducted by highly trained individuals who use a De Beers Group Institute of Diamonds natural colour master stone set. It is these same individuals who will examine clarity, symmetry and polish features under magnification, before evaluating proportions and setting a cut grade.

Speaking on the diamonds in the ‘Rare Treasures of the Earth’ exhibition, Jonathan Kendall, President of De Beers Group Institute of Diamonds, says: “We are immensely proud to have graded so many of the fancy colour diamonds in this exhibition. By partnering with Christie’s, we can now communicate with the end-consumer and offer constructive diamond grading advice and insights that reflect the high-level of skill, knowledge and integrity that’s at the
heart of De Beers Group Institute of Diamonds, and indeed the wider trade. We are particularly excited to see the consumer reaction to The Cullinan Dream, which is a remarkable diamond in size, clarity and colour.”

‘Rare Treasures of the Earth’ is curated by Christie’s Jewellery Private Sales and its Natural History Department. Rare diamonds, gemstones and minerals in the exhibition will be available for immediate purchase by private clients who form part of an extensive network of collectors and professionals around the world. Since rebranding from IIDGR, De Beers Group Institute of Diamonds, part of De Beers Group Industry Services, has focused on promoting its four core areas: natural diamond grading, diamond testing, pioneering instruments and industry education. Popular courses
include a one-day laboratory-grown diamond detection workshop and a one-day introduction to the 4Cs course that is especially targeted at retail staff.