Unmounted 8.48-Carat Paraíba Tourmaline Hammers to Applause | Sotheby's

An unmounted 8.48-carat Paraíba tourmaline hammered to applause , achieving 8x its high estimate at $640k. Named for the region of northeastern Brazil where the variety was first discovered in the late 1980s, Paraíba tourmalines are prized for a neon, "electric" blue-green born from trace copper — a color found in no other gemstone on earth. The stone is one of five exceptional examples from a single collection, assembled by the scion of an American communications empire after a chance introduction through his fundraising work for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Once known only to serious rockhounds, Paraíba tourmalines caught his eye — and then his obsession — sending him in search of the finest examples the market had to offer. Still haven’t subscribed to Sotheby’s on YouTube? ►►   / sothebys