Gem Rock Auctions sets no-reserve sale for 8.3-carat Paraíba tourmaline

Gem Rock Auctions will put an 8.314-carat natural Paraíba tourmaline up for live online bidding on Oct. 14, starting at US$1 with no reserve. The lab-reported Mozambique stone could become a public price marker for a high-value gem category where results are usually private.

Why it matters: - The sale gives the market a rare public benchmark for a large Paraíba tourmaline, a gem category where prices are usually hidden. - A no-reserve format means the stone will sell for whatever bidders pay, even if the final price is far below typical auction expectations. - The result may draw attention from collectors, dealers and buyers watching colored-stone pricing.

What happened: - Gem Rock Auctions will offer an 8.314-carat Paraíba tourmaline in a live online auction on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026, at 10:30 p.m. EDT. - The bidding will open at US$1 with no reserve price. - The stone is being sold by Bangkok-based dealer The Gem Portal. - The auction will run on Gem Rock Auctions, and registered bidders from any country can participate. - Gem Rock Auctions will publish the final sale result after the auction.

The details: - Bellerophon Gemlab in Paris examined the stone and issued report B79430 on Sept. 30, 2026. - The report identifies the gem as a natural Paraíba tourmaline of Mozambique, Mavuco provenance. - The lab report states there are no indications of treatment. - The faceted oval measures 14.90 x 12.28 x 7.37 mm. - The stone is described as greenish blue. - The report can be checked by report number on Bellerophon’s verification page. - Paraíba tourmaline is a copper-bearing variety of tourmaline first identified in Brazil’s Paraíba state in the late 1980s. - Later deposits were found in Nigeria and Mozambique. - Stones above several carats are uncommon and are typically sold through private dealer networks or traditional auction houses with published estimates and reserve prices. - Participants need a registered and verified Gem Rock Auctions account to bid. - The auction time converts to 7:30 p.m. PDT on Oct. 14, 3:30 a.m. BST and 10:30 a.m. HKT on Oct. 15, and 1:30 p.m. AEDT on Oct. 15. - High-resolution images and the full laboratory report are available to media on request.

Between the lines: - Ross Sedawie, COO of Gem Rock Auctions, said the no-reserve format should let bidders set the price in real time. - Sedawie said the outcome could provide a public reference point in a market where most prices are never disclosed. - Jake Mossbarger, co-founder of The Gem Portal, said the open sale is meant to test what the market will pay. - Mossbarger said a US$1 starting bid means the final price will be set by bidders on the night.

What's next: - The live auction will begin on Oct. 14 at 10:30 p.m. EDT. - The market will get a final public result once bidding closes.

The bottom line: - A large, lab-reported natural Paraíba tourmaline is heading to a true no-reserve auction, making the final price the main story.