Moussaieff, the London-based fine jewelers, said Monday it has purchased a rare 39.19 ct. extremely fine rough blue diamond, that it calls “one of the most important to come to the market in the last fifteen years. This stone has the potential to be of exceptional intense color and excellent clarity.” 

“Blue diamonds are rare and getting rarer and rarer” said Alisa Moussaieff president of Moussaieff Jewellers.

The U.K. newspaper, The Guardian, reports that the jeweller purchased the diamond for $8.8 million fondon-listed miner Petra Diamonds Ltd, which had placed the diamond on tender in Johannesburg, sold the gemstone.

Alisa Moussaieff, in the company statement, said that in spite of the global financial crisis, she is confident that the blue and other special fancy colored diamonds are so rare they will continue to appreciate in value and that the market for diamonds of this rarity is liquid.

Within the last twelve months Moussaieff purchased a unique 6.04-ct. emerald cut vivid blue diamond whom also own the world’s largest certified red diamond at 5.11-ct. “The Moussaieff Red.”

Due to the increasing scarcity of polished colored diamonds on the open market, Alisa Moussaieff`s focus in recent years has been to acquire exceptional colored rough diamonds at source and of course also other rough polished in-house.

JCK