"Estrela de Fura": An Extraordinary Ruby that Rewrites History
On June 8, 2023, the auction room at Sotheby's New York held its breath: "Estrela de Fura" ("The Star of Fura" in Portuguese) had just reached $34.8 million, thus becoming the most expensive ruby ever sold at auction and the most costly colored gemstone in the history of public sales.
Cut in a cushion shape, the 55.22-carat gem originates from a 101-carat rough stone extracted from the Fura mine in Mozambique. Its discovery was immediately hailed as "historic" by experts: never before had a ruby of such size and purity been unearthed in this region. After months of study and meticulous cutting, the stone revealed all its qualities: a "pigeon's blood" color – the most coveted for rubies – remarkable clarity, and intense fluorescence, all characteristics previously considered the exclusive domain of exceptional Burmese rubies. A gem described by reference laboratories as "exceptional in all respects". At the time of sale, Sotheby's described the cutting process of this incredible gem as "the absolute dream for a master cutter": to succeed in transforming a monumental rough stone into a perfectly balanced cut jewel, allowing the stone to enhance and reflect its light to the fullest. But "Estrela de Fura" is not just a sales feat. It also marks the definitive entry of Mozambique into the exclusive circle of prestigious ruby deposits, long dominated by Burma.