An Astonishing Paraiba Tourmaline Hits the Auction Room in Hong Kong

There’s something about a sea-green gemstone that just takes your breath away, isn’t there? There’s a fabulous example of one of them coming up for sale soon in Hong Kong.

In May, the auctioneers at Bonhams in Hong Kong will offer a remarkable Paraiba tourmaline to buyers. The gemstone is measured at 181.61 carats, making it one of the largest of its kind ever to be sold. The unusual stones have an intense, almost neon, blue color. The stone’s name comes from the Brazilian state of Paraíba, where numerous examples have been discovered, but the gems can be found in other parts of the world as well.

The Paraiba tourmaline that will be sold at Bonhams was found in Mozambique. The uncut crystal was discovered in 2003 by Don Kogen, who is described as a “gem hunter.” The original crystal was enormous, weighing 830 carats. Kogen hoped that a record-breaking gem-quality tourmaline could be produced from the crystal, perhaps surpassing the stone that holds the Guinness World Record, the 191.87-carat Ethereal Carolina Divine Paraiba.

Kogen turned to his wife, the Canadian jeweler Kat Florence, to transform the rough stone into a gorgeous gem. The gem-cutting team working for Florence’s jewelry company initially produced a 315-carat gemstone that would have surpassed the record for the largest gem-quality paraiba tourmaline. Press materials sent ahead of the auction describe the first attempt as “remarkable in size, but compromised in brilliance. Like many Paraibas over 100 carats, it displayed ‘windowing,’ a flatness that dulls fire and life at the center of the gem.”

The team decided to try again. “Kat, never one to compromise on perfection, envisioned more,” the press release notes. “After thoughtful deliberation and months of precision work by Kat Florence’s elite cutting team, the stone was reimagined and reborn as The Kat Florence Lumina; a perfectly proportioned, flawless, 181.61-carat Paraiba. It is now the largest known Paraiba tourmaline of its kind: unheated, vividly saturated, and masterfully cut to ignite brilliance from every angle.”

The Kat Florence Lumina was exhibited last week in Taipei, and next month it will be displayed in Singapore and Hong Kong ahead of its sale at Bonhams Hong Kong on May 22. The press release has not shared an auction estimate for the gem. But if you were the lucky one to acquire the electric gem, how would you use it? As a pendant or a brooch? Perhaps the centerpiece of a magnificent tiara?