With the Avengers’ arch villain Thanos vanquished (again), it’s probably safe for Marvel fans to peek over their hands during the revived San Diego Comic-Con this weekend to stare at a just-unveiled $25 million collection of actual gems cut to look like the Infinity Stones at the heart of recent films and 50 years of comics.
The Infinity Collection of Gemstones from Marvel and New York-based East Continental Gems debuted today at Marvel’s booth at Comic-Con, finally back in person after two years of pandemic perdition.
The asking price for the Infinity Collection: a cool $25 million for more than 150 carats of real gems. It’s a bargain if the stones can also cause half the universe’s beings, or all of them, to blink out of existence, however temporarily. It’s probably for the best that the sellers make no claims of such devastating power.
Nevertheless, Marvel officials did say the gems are among the most valuable collectibles ever for their much-loved franchise.
“Fans and collectors are a very important consumer for Marvel, since they truly live the Marvel lifestyle every day and are always seeking to connect with the brand in new and unique ways,” said Paul Gitter, Marvel’s SVP, Consumer Products, in a release. “We feel this authentic gemstone collection is cool and unexpected and extends the reach of the Marvel brand
East Continental Gems President Adam Mirzoff said, “There has never been anything as exciting and interesting in the Marvel Universe than the prized Infinity Stones and as a fourth-generation jeweler and fan, I am honored that Marvel entrusted us with the monumental task of curating the Infinity Gem Collection for our universe.”
The collection consists of six real gems cut to look like the universe-shifting Infinity Stones, which are a central part of multiple story lines in the Marvel Cinematic (and Comic) Universe. The stones, originally called Infinity Gems, first surfaced in a Marvel comic in 1973.
- The Time Stone is a Colombian emerald of about 23 carats in size.
- The Space Stone is a 30-carat sapphire from Madagascar
- The Reality Stone is an oval-shaped, 15-carat ruby from Mozambique, which may or may not be near the kingdom of Wakanda.
- The Power Stone is a 35-carat, oval-shaped amethyst.
- The Soul Stone is a 35-carat cushion-shaped Spessartite, which is a type of garnet.
- The Mind Stone is a nearly 35-carat yellow diamond of high clarity, intense color and a rectangular brilliant cut.
Each stone gets its own custom gauntlet, created by collectibles maker Gentle Giant Ltd. Los Angeles-based creative Darren Romanelli, aka DRx, served as the collection’s Creative Director. The unveiling tapped Daymond John, a Marvel superfan and founder/CEO of sportswear company FUBU, to be part of the mid-day ceremony at the Marvel booth.
East Continental Gems also announced it plans to issue a limited-edition Reality Stone in September as part of a collection still to be announced.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/dbloom/2022/07/22/marvels-infinity-stones-gem-collectibles-to-cost-25-million-wont-end-universe/