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Sotheby’s Geneva Showcases Exceptional Provenance and Record-Breaking Natural Diamonds

Each November, Geneva takes centre stage in the world of fine jewellery, and Sotheby’s 2025 High Jewellery and Royal & Noble Jewels sales reaffirm why the city remains its beating heart. This year’s auctions bring together a breathtaking display of natural diamonds, historical heirlooms, and masterful craftsmanship that celebrate centuries of artistry and provenance.

At the forefront of the Sotheby’s High Jewellery Sale is The Glowing Rose, an extraordinary 10.08-carat Fancy Vivid Pink diamond estimated at around USD 20 million. Its rare, “pure pink” hue—free from secondary tones—places it among the most valuable gemstones in existence. Comparable to celebrated stones such as the Williamson Pink Star and Pink Legacy, this exceptional diamond embodies the geological miracle of atomic distortion, which gives natural pink diamonds their ethereal glow. Stones of this size and purity are exceedingly rare, making The Glowing Rose the undeniable star of the season.

Colour remains the hallmark of this year’s Geneva sale. A pair of Fancy Vivid Yellow diamond earrings, weighing 38.66 and 38.88 carats, are expected to achieve between CHF 2,000,000 and CHF 3,800,000. Their radiant colour intensity and impressive carat weight represent the highest standards of fancy diamond grading. Equally captivating is a 4.50-carat Fancy Vivid Blue diamond, internally flawless and estimated at CHF 4,400,000 to CHF 5,800,000. The blue hue, caused by trace boron, adds to its rarity and appeal, offering collectors the coveted trifecta of exceptional colour, clarity, and size.

Among the coloured gemstones, a 7.69-carat “Royal Blue” Kashmir sapphire set in a ring-pendant combination by Van Cleef & Arpels is a standout. Revered for their velvety “sleepy” lustre, Kashmir sapphires are among the most desirable in the world, and this piece exemplifies the pinnacle of gemological beauty. Further artistry is showcased through a pair of sapphire, tsavorite garnet, and diamond earclips by JAR—vividly imaginative and estimated at CHF 300,000 to CHF 500,000—reflecting the contemporary genius of Joel Arthur Rosenthal.

The sale also includes signature creations by Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier, Graff, and De Grisogono. Highlights include a 10.04-carat marquise-shaped D-colour diamond ring by Graff (VVS2 clarity, estimated CHF 320,000–560,000) and a De Grisogono ruby and diamond bombé ring featuring two step-cut diamonds (estimated CHF 55,000–75,000).

In tribute to a century of Art Deco design, Sotheby’s presents an array of geometric masterpieces from Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels, embodying the symmetry and elegance that shaped modern jewellery aesthetics. Two private collections will also headline the event: one dedicated exclusively to Van Cleef & Arpels, and another—Aria of Jewels: The Collection of Antje-Katrin Kühnemann—featuring exceptional Cartier and De Grisogono pieces from the late philanthropist’s private trove.

The Royal & Noble Jewels: A Journey Through History

Complementing the High Jewellery Sale, Sotheby’s Royal & Noble Jewels auction unveils some of the most historically significant diamonds and heirlooms ever offered. Among them is a diamond brooch once owned by Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, lost during his flight after Waterloo and later recovered by the Prussian Royal family. After more than two centuries in private hands, it now re-emerges for the first time at auction.

Also featured is a light pink diamond ring with royal lineage, once belonging to Empress Catherine I of Russia and later to Princess Neslishah Sultan, estimated between CHF 240,000 and CHF 400,000. A natural pearl and diamond jewel formerly owned by Cunegonde of Saxony (cousin of Louis XVI) carries an estimate of CHF 340,000 to CHF 500,000, while a diamond tiara with a wild roses motif from the Duchess of Portland (1774–1844) is expected to fetch CHF 100,000 to CHF 170,000.

Adding to the grandeur is a Cartier emerald and diamond necklace featuring an 11.78-carat Colombian emerald, commissioned in 1932, exemplifying Art Deco refinement and royal provenance.

Celebrating Provenance, Craftsmanship, and Natural Rarity

From Napoleon’s lost brooch to The Glowing Rose, Sotheby’s Geneva continues to highlight how exceptional gems transcend beauty—they embody heritage, artistry, and history. These November 2025 auctions remind the world that in fine jewellery, rarity, provenance, and craftsmanship remain the ultimate symbols of enduring value.

About DCLA
The Diamond Certification Laboratory of Australia (DCLA) is the official CIBJO-accredited laboratory for Australia, recognised for its expertise in diamond grading and certification. DCLA continues to support transparency and integrity within the global diamond trade, celebrating events such as Sotheby’s Geneva that showcase the brilliance and authenticity of natural diamonds.

Rockefeller Kashmir Sapphire could Fetch $2.5m

The Rockefeller Kashmir, an Art Deco ring that belonged to the late John D. Rockefeller 3rd and his wife Blanchette, is to appear in a sale of the couple’s vast art collection.

The Cartier features a 17.66-carat cushion faceted base pyramidal sugarloaf cabochon sapphire, with diamonds and carries a $1.5m to $2.5m estimate.

The ring was created around 1925 and has been in the Rockefeller family for three generations.

John D. Rockefeller 3rd inherited billions of dollars from the family’s Standard Oil empire, and was a prominent philanthropist.

The ring will be auctioned at Christie’s New York at the Magnificent Jewels event, during their December Luxury Week, on 10 December.

The collection of Asian art, jewelry, major American paintings and other heirlooms, was held by the couple’s daughter Sandra Ferry Rockefeller, who died in October 2024, aged 89.

Some of the sale proceeds will benefit her youth empowerment foundation.

Source: IDEX

31-Carat ‘Desert Rose’ Diamond Expected to Fetch $7 Million at Abu Dhabi Auction

Sotheby’s is set to showcase one of the world’s rarest diamonds during its upcoming series of luxury auctions and exhibitions in Abu Dhabi, held from 2 to 5 December at The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort. The events form part of Abu Dhabi Collectors’ Week, which will feature masterclasses, panel discussions, and curated exhibitions highlighting fine jewellery, timepieces, collector cars, luxury real estate, and other exceptional assets.

The highlight of the auction is “The Desert Rose”, a 31.86-carat fancy vivid orangy-pink diamond, the largest of its kind ever graded. This extraordinary pear-shaped gem—first unveiled in Sotheby’s “Beyond: The World’s Rarest Diamonds” exhibition earlier this year—makes its auction debut with an estimated value of USD $5–$7 million.

The timing of the event coincides with one of Abu Dhabi’s busiest weeks, which includes the Formula 1 Grand Prix, the Milken Institute Middle East and Africa Summit 2025, Abu Dhabi Finance Week, and Bitcoin MENA. Together, these prestigious gatherings are expected to attract a global audience of collectors, investors, and cultural leaders.

Following Sotheby’s successful inaugural sale in Saudi Arabia earlier this year, the Abu Dhabi auctions further underscore the Middle East’s growing influence in the global luxury and cultural landscape. Saadiyat Island, home to institutions such as the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the forthcoming Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, and the Zayed National Museum, continues to establish itself as a world-class destination for art and high-value collectibles.

The Desert Rose diamond’s debut marks a milestone in coloured diamond history—its rarity, hue, and size exemplify the exceptional standards that define the world’s most coveted gems.

— DCLA News Team

Five More Arrests over Louvre Heist

Five more suspects were arrested on Wednesday night (29 October) in connection with the Louvre heist.

One is believed to be a member of the four-man team that carried out the raid, who was identified through DNA evidence and seen on CCTV footage.

The two suspects arrested earlier (on 25 October) have “partially admitted” their involvement in the crime, according to French investigators.

Napoleonic crown jewels valued at over $100m were stolen on Sunday 19 October just as the museum, in Paris, was opening to visitors.

The thieves used mechanical ladder to reach a second-floor balcony, cut through the display cases with power tools, then escaped on motorbikes.

Laure Beccuau, the public prosecutor in Paris, said there was currently no evidence to suggest the theft was an inside job. None of the those arrested worked at the museum.

The four-man gang who carried out the raid left behind a motorbike helmet which provided a crucial hair sample believed to be linked to one of the suspects, together with multiple DNA samples.

The Louvre, the most-visited museum in the world, has since moved the remaining crown jewels to a vault at the Bank of France.

Source: IDEX

De Beers Rough Sales Triple in Q3

De Beers sold $700m worth of rough diamonds across its two sights in the three months to 30 September – more than tripling the $213m recorded during the same period last year.

In the third quarter of 2024, the company held only one sight, having cancelled the August session due to weak demand.

During the Q3 2025 sights, specific assortments were offered at discounted prices. De Beers no longer provides sight by sight updates.

It noted that trading conditions “continued to be challenging,” although consumer demand for natural diamond jewelry remained broadly stable, particularly in the US.

The company said progress seen in the first half of 2025 was hindered by newly imposed US tariffs on diamond imports from India, according to its production report published on 28 October.

However, it welcomed the recent exemption granted for natural diamond imports from countries participating in “aligned partner” trade agreements, announced last month.

Meanwhile, quarterly production increased year-on-year by 38 per cent, to 7.7m carats, although it is down 5 per cent for the year to date (17.9m carats).

Production guidance for 2025 is unchanged at 20 to 23m carats.

Source: IDEX

Alrosa to Extract Gold as Byproduct of Diamond Mining

Alrosa to Extract Gold as Byproduct Mirny, in Russia's Sakha Republic.

Alrosa plans to extract gold from its diamond-bearing alluvial deposits in Mirny, in Russia’s Sakha Republic.

The move comes as demand for natural diamond continues to slide, and gold prices reach record highs.

Alrosa, Russia’s state-controlled miner, announced on Friday (24 October) that it was “considering extracting gold as a byproduct during diamond mining at the Mirny-Nyurba Mining and Processing Division”.

Gold was first found in the area in 2020 and Alrosa says a team of geologists has so far recovered 433kg of it.

The proposal is that gold will be recovered as a byproduct from diamond-bearing sands and placer deposits (accumulations of valuable minerals) in the Mirny area. Alrosa will use existing processing facilities.

In 2024, the company bought the Degdekan gold deposit in the Magadan region – in a notable departure from its core activity of diamond mining.

It said it would invest over $100m in the project, which is expected to produce about 3.3 tonnes of gold annually when it reaches full capacity around 2030.

Source: IDEX

Post-Tariff Slump in US Imports of Swiss Watches

Swiss watch exports to the US plunged by more than 55 per cent in September, in what the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry Exports (FHS) described as a “huge correction”.

Foreign sales surged in the weeks before the US introduced a 39 per cent tariff on Swiss imports on 7 August, as manufacturers front-loaded shipments.

Since then exports to the US have slumped, down by 23.9 per cent in August and now by 55.6 per cent in September.

“Without this expected but nonetheless extraordinary development, Swiss watch exports would have grown by 7.8%,” the FHS said in its latest update.

Hong Kong and China both saw a marked reversal of fortunes, from double-digit declines in August to double-digit increases in September. But that wasn’t enough to outweigh the US plunge.

Total Swiss watch exports fell by 3.1 per cent during the month to CHF 2.0bn (USD 2.5bn). The UK became the single biggest buyer, with imports up 15 per cent to CHF 173m ($218m), an 8.7 per cent market share.

The overall decline took cumulative exports for the first nine months of the year to CHF 19.0bn (USD23.9bn), an overall decline of 1.2 per cent.

Source: IDEX

Napoleon’s Diamond Brooch Leads Sotheby’s Sale

Treasures that once belonged to Napoleon Bonaparte are to be offered for sale by Sotheby’s Geneva on 12 November.

Details of the auction were revealed on Friday (24 October), less than a week after the devastating raid on the Louvre, in which items from the French crown jewels, valued at over $100m, were stolen.

Highlight of the Royal & Noble Jewels Sale is Napoleon’s unique brooch featuring old mine and mazarin-cut diamonds that was pinned to his hat during the 1815 Battle of Waterloo.

At its center is a large oval diamond weighing 13.04 carats, surrounded by nearly 100 old mine-cut diamonds arranged in two concentric rows.

The brooch was seized by the victorious Prussian army as the defeated Napoleon fled.

It appears for the first time at auction with an estimate of CHF 120,000 to 200,000 (USD 150,000 to 250,000).

“In his haste to flee Waterloo, where his armies had been overwhelmed by the combined forces of the British and Prussian armies, Napoleon had to abandon some of his carriages when they got stuck in a muddy road a few miles away from the battlefield – including the carriage containing those precious belongings,” Sotheby’s said.

Three days later the brooch was presented to Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm III as a battle trophy.

It remained within the House of Hohenzollern for centuries, and passed down to emperors of Germany. It has been part of a different private collection for the last few years.

Source: IDEX

Rare Half-Pink 37.4-Carat Diamond Unearthed in Botswana

A remarkable two-coloured natural diamond has been discovered in Botswana, astonishing experts with its size and formation. The gem half pink and half colourless weighs an impressive 37.41 carats and measures approximately 24.3 x 16 x 14.5 millimetres, according to the Gemological Institute of America (GIA).

The GIA describes the stone as having formed in two distinct geological stages. Sally Eaton-Magaña, Senior Manager of Diamond Identification at the GIA, explained that the pink section likely began as colourless before undergoing plastic deformation possibly caused by a mountain-forming event millions of years ago. This natural deformation altered the crystal lattice, giving rise to the diamond’s vivid pink hue. The colourless section, in contrast, appears to have formed later under more stable conditions.

Pink diamonds are among the rarest gems on Earth, prized for their beauty and scientific intrigue. Unlike coloured diamonds that owe their hue to trace elements or radiation exposure, pink diamonds result from structural distortions within the crystal lattice. This phenomenon must occur under highly specific pressure and temperature conditions too little deformation and the diamond remains colourless; too much and it turns brown.

“It’s a geological balancing act like Goldilocks,” noted Curtin University geologist Luc Doucet, referencing the fine threshold that determines a diamond’s colour outcome.

What makes this new discovery even more extraordinary is its size. While other bi-coloured diamonds have been documented, they are typically no larger than 2 carats. The 37.4-carat specimen from Botswana represents a significant leap in both scale and scientific importance.

The diamond was unearthed at Lucara Diamond Corporation’s Karowe mine, one of the world’s most productive sources of exceptional diamonds. The Karowe mine has previously yielded some of the most celebrated finds in modern history, including the 2,488-carat “Motswedi” diamond, the second-largest rough diamond ever recovered, and the 62-carat “Boitumelo” pink diamond.

This latest discovery further cements Botswana’s position at the forefront of the global diamond industry and provides scientists with another remarkable glimpse into the complex natural processes that create the Earth’s most coveted gemstones.

Turning Point, Finally, for Chow Tai Fook

Chow Tai Fook (CTF) says sales across its 6,000 outlets rebounded in the three months to 30 September as gold price surged, following on from five consecutive quarters of decline.

China’s biggest jewelry retailer (by store count) said the Q2 2026 results “marked a significant turning point of our business”.

Growth in retail sales value (RSV) for the quarter was 4.1 per cent, after five quarters with an average decline of over 18 per cent.

The recovery was driven by CTF’s 151 non-Mainland stores, most of them in Hong Kong and Macau, which reported an RSV growth of 11.4 per cent.

Sales at its 5,663 stores in Mainland China rose by a more modest 3.0 per cent.

Overall CTF benefited from soaring gold prices, which saw a significant increase in the average selling price of gold jewlery and gold products sold by weight and at fixed prices.

In its Unaudited Key Operational Data, the Hong Kong-based company said its signature collections had sustained strong sales momentum, and it had continued to make steady progress in its brand transformation.

During the quarter, CTF closed 300 under-performing stores.

“Our current priorities on retail network management remain unchanged, which are to sustain market leadership and enhance the overall financial health of our retail network by maximising store productivity,” the company said.

Source: IDEX