A SUPERB FANCY VIVID BLUE DIAMOND AND DIAMOND RING 5.04卡拉 心形 艷彩藍色 VS2淨度 鑽石 配 鑽石 戒指

‘…All the colours of flowers and foliage and even the blue sky and the glory of the sunset clouds, only last for a short time, and are subject to continual change, but the sheen and colouration of precious stones are the same to-day as they were thousands of years ago and will be for thousands of years to come. In a world of change, this permanence has a charm of its own that was early appreciated…’ – G.F. Kunz, 1913

Diamonds in essence are pure and simple in composition, requiring only one element as it crystalizes: carbon. However, as nature pressurizes on these very elements deep within the mantles of earth, numerous variables ranging from temperatures to surrounding environments affect the formation process. This is how diamonds obtain their variety in the full colour spectrum, as the structural impurities, inclusions and even radiation exposures allow the crystals to capture a myriad of colours that have been appreciated and treasured throughout the ages.

Among all fancy coloured diamonds, blue diamonds are one of the most famous diamonds throughout history. Early records can be traced back to the 17^th century when Jean Baptiste Tavernier sold a dark blue diamond to King Louis XIV of France, which was originally called the Tavernier Blue, and then the French Blue as a part of the French Crown Jewels. Later the mystique of the famed Hope Diamond, which was purchased by Henry Phillip Hope in 1830, was only heightened when research studies showed that the Hope Diamond could potentially have been recut from the lost French Blue.

The distinctive hue of the blue diamonds is often attributed to the trace of boron within the crystal (Type IIb). It could sometimes also be a result of hydrogen (Type Ia) in the structures or even radiation exposures to the diamond, but this is rare and often results in having a greyish tone when graded. Because of its formation, every faceting process of a blue diamond demands extreme care and precision. The rough will likely be asymmetrical with colour zoning, which presents unique challenges to the cutter as they balance the best colour, carat weight and the type of cut for each stone.  

Lot 1654 presents a heart-shaped fancy vivid blue diamond of 5.04 carats, which was determined to be a Type IIb diamond. Type IIb diamonds are usually free of nitrogen impurities, with boron in its crystal matrix that gives its stunning blue hue. The famed Hope Diamond is also classified as a Type IIb diamond.

“世間顏色豐富多彩，但鮮花易枯萎，綠葉會凋零，即使湛藍的天空和絢麗的晚霞也是瞬息萬變稍縱即逝，而寶石的斑斕光彩卻能持續千年不變，其永恆的魅力從始便令世人無法抵擋…”--- G.F.Kunz，1913年

眾所周知，鑽石成份簡單純淨，結晶基本只需一種元素：碳。然而碳元素最初位於地球深處，在結晶並形成鑽石的過程中會受到包括溫度、壓力及周遭環境等一系列因素的影響，無論是由於結構缺陷加入了少量其他原子，抑或受到輻射，都有可能使得鑽石顏色發生變化，所以顏色豐富多彩的鑽石自古以來身價非凡，備受世人追捧。

縱觀歷史，在各色彩鑽中當屬藍鑽最為聞名。著名的歐洲珠寶商Jean-Baptiste Tavernier在17世紀將一顆深藍鑽石帶入法國，彼時命名為Tavernier Blue。而後Tavernier將此顆珍寶售予當時法國的國王路易十四，並稱作“法蘭西之藍”，歸為法國皇室珠寶珍藏。1830年，藏家Henry Phillip Hope購得一顆名為『希望之鑽』的藍色鑽石，據稱就是由曾一度消失的“法蘭西之藍”鑽石重新切割而成。

藍鑽無以倫比的顏色通常來自於晶體結構中微量的硼元素，在鑽石類別中屬於Type IIb。但有時藍鑽的顏色也會跟天然輻射或者氫元素的介入有關（Type Ia），但這種情況極為罕有，且鑽石會呈現灰色調。藍鑽原石裡面通常會包涵不對稱的色帶，對於工匠來說是極大的挑戰，切割過程中每一步都極需縝密的規劃和高超技藝，才能在顏色、重量及形狀各方面達到完美平衡的狀態。

此次上拍的Lot 1654是一顆重達5.04克拉的艷彩藍鑽，也是Type IIb鑽石。Type IIb鑽石中一般不含氮元素，鑽石鮮艷迷人的藍色是由晶體結構中的硼元素提供。著名的『希望之鑽』也屬於Type IIb鑽石。