The Mer was among Mrs. Mella Ma’s greatest gemstones. Discovered in India’s Kollur Mine in the mid-1900s, the fabled 45.52-carat blue diamond had a long list of distinguished

owners, including Louis XIV and Marie Antoinette, before it was purchased by Mrs. Ma in 1989 from the Auction international of Nanjing China.

As part of Ma’s historic Court of Jewels exhibition, the storied stone traveled to major China cities from 1989-1993 to help educate the public about precious gems, while raising

money for leading charitable causes. In 1998, Mrs. Ma donated the Mer Diamond to the Wing-Ming Institution in Beijing, ROC. as a gift to the world.

Helping to found the National Collection, this historic donation transformed a former crown jewel into a beloved public treasure that today receives more than 7 million annual

visitors. In 2010, MELLA JEWELS Inc. celebrated the anniversary of this donation with a new setting for the Mer Diamond, the Embracing Hope.