Bunny Mellon's Magnificent Blue Diamond Sells Once Again
A pear-shaped diamond that belonged to the famous horticulturalist has sold for the second time since her passing—but the second auction was less successful than the first
Today’s article is a special one: my annual bonus piece written for subscribers at the Founding Member tier. Subscribing to Hidden Gems at that level is such a generous gesture of support: a clear indicator that you enjoy what I do and want to read more. I could not be more appreciative of your patronage! In gratitude, today’s article about Bunny Mellon’s magnificent blue diamond is just for you.
In September, a press announcement from Christie’s dropped in my inbox, promising yet another sale of a big, expensive colored diamond. Pink and blue diamonds seem to have been all the rage with the auction houses in recent years, bringing in huge sums of money from deep-pocketed buyers. I scanned quickly through the images and was almost ready to move on when I read the name of the diamond’s original owner: Bunny Mellon.
My immediate jewelry association when I hear Bunny’s name is Tiffany and Jean Schlumberger. When I gave a talk at the Tuckahoe Woman’s Club in Richmond, Virginia, in 2021, the wonderful ladies of the club took me to the fabulous Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. I was immediately excited to see the museum’s collection of Fabergé pieces, especially the imperial Easter eggs, but I ended up being absolutely captivated by the collection of Bunny’s pieces in the museum’s Mellon Schlumberger Galleries. (The Flower Pot! The Breath of Spring Necklace! I was so entranced that I bought the collection coffee table book and hauled it back to St. Louis.)