Billed as the world's largest flawless Paraiba tourmaline, the 181.61-carat "Kat Florence Lumina" is expected to make a splash at Bonhams' auction on May 22 in Hong Kong.
The journey of the Lumina began more than two decades ago in the rugged terrains of Mozambique’s Mavuco district, where famed gem hunter Don Kogen unearthed an extraordinary 830-carat crystal. From the moment of its discovery in 2003, the stone radiated promise — intense neon blue-green hues, rich with the copper signature that distinguishes true Paraiba tourmalines.
Kogen estimated that the huge crystal might one day yield a clean 300-carat gem, an almost mythical prospect in the world of Paraibas.
For years, the stone lay untouched. Then in 2025, spurred by his wife — jewelry designer Kat Florence — Kogen finally decided to cut the gem. The result? A massive, but not quite perfect, 315-carat Paraiba tourmaline.
Despite its size, it suffered from the common fate of large tourmalines: windowing. This optical flatness muted its inner fire.
The designer wasn’t content to let the story end there. Instead, she led her elite team of artisans in a painstaking reimagining of the gem. Through months of precision cutting, analysis and refinement, the stone was reborn — this time as the Kat Florence Lumina, a gem perfectly proportioned to unleash its brilliance from every angle.
The final masterpiece weighed in at 181.61 carats. Though smaller than its earlier iteration, it gained immeasurably in life and luminosity. Unheated and vividly saturated, the Kat Florence Lumina is now the largest flawless Paraiba tourmaline of its kind — a gem that unites size, color, clarity and cut.
Certified by three of the industry’s top gemological labs — Bellerophon, AGL and Gübelin — the Kat Florence Lumina is expected to earn international acclaim as a once-in-a-generation stone. Its exceptional qualities recall the legendary "Ethereal Carolina Divine Paraiba," a 191.87-carat brilliant-cut oval recognized for its size by Guinness World Records in 2009.
The term "Paraiba" represents the most coveted variety of tourmaline. Originally unearthed in Paraiba, Brazil, in 1987, the neon blue crystals sparked a mining frenzy in Brazil, and within five years, the supply was largely tapped out, according to the Smithsonian.
In 2001 and again in 2002, new Paraiba-like tourmalines were discovered in Nigeria and Mozambique. Interestingly, the vivid blue-green gems boasted a similar color and chemistry as the Brazilian-sourced goods.
Gemologists learned that Paraiba tourmalines were distinctly different from the rest because they owed their intense blue color to trace impurities of copper. Other tourmalines got their color from the presence of iron, manganese, chromium and vanadium.
Today, gem dealers refer to neon blue or green, copper-infused tourmalines as “Paraiba,” regardless of their origin.
Now completing its final exhibition tour — with stops in Taipei, Singapore and Hong Kong — the Kat Florence Lumina is poised to become one of the most talked-about gems of the season. On May 22, the world will watch as this reimagined wonder goes under the hammer at Bonham's Hong Kong Jewels and Jadeite sale.
Credits: Photos of The Kat Florence Lumina courtesy of CNW Group/Kat Florence.