Rare 10-carat blue diamond among $100M worth of gems going up for auction

In a sea of jewels, one particular stone has been stealing the show.

A rare 10-carat Mediterranean blue diamond from South Africa was on display in an exhibit featuring $100 million worth of the world's rarest diamonds.

Also on display were red, yellow, pink and colorless diamonds. 

Quig Bruning, Sotheby's head of jewels in North America, Europe and the Middle East, said the exhibit's location was intentional, as the nation is known for its high interest in diamonds.

"We have great optimism about the region," Bruning said, according to AP.

The blue diamond shown in the exhibit is considered to be one of the most important blue diamonds ever discovered, according to sources. 

Nearly $23 billion worth of rough stone was traded in 2021.

In 2023, over $38 billion in the value of trade of rough and polished diamonds was recorded in the UAE.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.