Estrela de Fura: World's Largest Gem-Quality Ruby Heads to Auction

Sotheby’s in New York is set to auction the largest ruby ever sold, the 55.22-carat Estrela de Fura or Fura Star, found in Mozambique in July 2022. The ruby, which has been described as “an exceptional treasure,” is extraordinary due to its size, purity, and location. It was previously believed that only Burma produced rubies of such quality. The estimated price of the ruby at auction is more than $30 million, which could make it the most valuable ruby ever sold. The Gubelin Gem Lab and Swiss Gemmological Institute have graded the gem, both describing it as “almost unimaginable” in terms of size and quality. Sotheby’s has placed the ruby at the forefront of the African gem industry, on par with Burmese gems. The current record for a ruby sold at auction is held by the Sunrise Ruby, a 25.59-carat Burmese stone sold in 2015 for $30.3 million. The Estrela de Fura ruby was found in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province, an area affected by ISIS-inspired militants.

Less than a year after it was discovered by Canadian firm Fura Gems at one of its mines in Mozambique, a "exceedingly rare" and "the most valuable and important" ruby named Estrela de Fura (or Star of Fura in Portuguese) is set to go under the hammer at Sotheby's in New York in June. The gem, which was cut from a record-breaking 101-carat rough stone and possesses "outstanding clarity" and a dark red color known as "pigeon's blood," is expected to fetch "in excess of" $30 million. Although diamonds dominate record gemstone sales, rubies are also considered among the world's rarest and most valuable gemstones. The current auction record for a ruby was set by the Sunrise Ruby, a 25.59-carat stone found in Myanmar that fetched $30.3 million in Geneva, Switzerland, in 2015.