Christie’s in Hong Kong

Historic Emerald Necklace Sells for $6.2m

A 275-year-old carved emerald necklace from the Mughal Empire sold for $6.2m, more than double its high estimate, at Christie’s New York.

It is made of five Colombian emeralds, with a combined weight of 1,178.50 carats (8.3oz/235g) on gold and magenta cords.

Three are carved hexagonal – the largest is 470 carat and inscribed “Ahmad Shah Durr-i Durran” (Pearl of Pearls) – and two are carved pear-shaped.

The necklace once belonged to Nader Shah, one of the most powerful rulers in Iranian history, and one-time owner of the Koh-i-Noor diamond.

He seized the necklace after capturing Delhi in 1739 and taking control of the royal treasury of the Mughal Empire, which ruled much of the Indian subcontinent from 1526 to 1857.

The necklace carried a pre-sale estimate of $2m to $3m.

Source: IDEX

Historic “Marie-Thérèse Pink Diamond” Fetches Over $13.9 Million at Christie’s

A remarkable piece of royal history captivated the global jewellery market this week. The 10.38-carat “Marie-Thérèse Pink Diamond” achieved more than USD $13.9 million (including buyer’s premium) at Christie’s New York Magnificent Jewels auction, nearly doubling its high estimate. The hammer price alone reached USD $11.8 million.

This fancy purple-pink, modified kite brilliant-cut diamond boasts not only exceptional rarity and colour but also a royal provenance tracing back through French, Bavarian, and Austrian imperial families. It was most recently set in a ring by renowned Franco-American jewellery artist JAR, further enhancing its artistic and collectible value.

According to Christie’s, the pink diamond is believed to have been part of a group of jewels entrusted by Marie Antoinette to her hairdresser in 1791, just before her attempted escape from Paris. These jewels were later passed to her only surviving child, Duchess Marie Thérèse de Angoulême, and subsequently to her niece, Duchess Marie Thérèse de Chambord.

“Generations later,” Christie’s noted, a will identified Queen Marie Theresa of Bavaria as the next known custodian of the gem, referring to it as “a pink solitaire diamond from Aunt Chambord.” The diamond last appeared at auction in Geneva in 1996, offered by a European royal family member, and had remained out of public view until this recent sale.

The impressive result underscores continued global demand for rare, historically significant coloured diamonds — particularly those with noble provenance.

No Golconda Blue, but Christie’s still Raises $72m

Christie’s Geneva sold 100 per cent of lots at its Magnificent Jewels yesterday (14 May) and raised $72.3m – despite the withdrawal of the sale’s main attraction, the 23.24-carat Golconda Blue.

It carried a $35m to $50m estimate and would have been the largest fancy vivid blue diamond ever offered at auction. But consignors pulled the gem with less than three weeks’ notice, saying it would be sold a family member instead.

The new top lot was another blue, an emerald-cut 6.24-carat fancy deep blue diamond (pictured) that was sold to London-based Moussaieff Jewellers for $12.7m. Christie’s said it set an auction record price per carat for a deep blue jewel.

A fancy, vivid blue oval-shaped diamond ring of 3.68 carats set by Graff, sold for $5.8m to Lawrence Graff.

And a private collection of 21 pieces by JAR (Joel Arthur Rosenthal) sold for $7.1m, with a diamond necklace selling for $2.8m, almost five times its pre-sale estimate.

Christie’s said the auction raised $72.3m, with 77 per cent of the 115 lots selling above their high estimate. By comparison, last year’s Magnificent Jewels auction raised $54.2m.

Source: IDEX

The 10.2-Carat ‘Eden Rose’ Fancy Pink Diamond Fetches $13.3 Million

Fancy colored diamonds made their mark at Christie’s Magnificent Jewels sale, held Tuesday in New York.

The top lot of the sale was “The Eden Rose,” a 10.2-carat internally flawless round brilliant fancy intense pink diamond. It sold for $13.3 million, beating its $12 million high estimate. Chrsitie’s said the diamond exhibits a pure pink hue, unlike many natural pink diamonds that typically display secondary hues such as purple, orange or gray. “The Eden Rose stands out for its complete absence of any secondary color, rendering it exceptionally rare,” Christie’s said in a statement prior to the auction.

The New York Magnificent Jewels sale achieved a total of $44.4 Million, with 90% of the 144 lots sold. The auction featured an array of diamonds, notable colored gemstones and pearl jewelry, and jewels from important houses such as Bulgari, Cartier, Tiffany & Co. and Van Cleef & Arpels. The sale is part of Christie’s “Luxury Week” of auctions being held this week.

“Collectors participated actively in all areas of the sale, paying strong prices for rare colored gemstones and natural pearls in particular,” said Rahul Kadakia, Christie’s international head of Jewelry.

Read full article: Forbes

10.20-Carat ‘Eden Rose’ Diamond Could Fetch $12 Million At Christie’s

Christie’s will offer “The Eden Rose,” a 10.20-carat round brilliant fancy intense pink diamond, as the top lot of its New York Magnificent Jewels auction on June 11. Its estimate is $9 million to $12 million. It is the first time this diamond has appeared at auction.

The Gemological Institute of America report supplied by Christie’s states that the diamond is also internally flawless.

Describing it as an “exceptionally rare gemstone,” Christie’s says the gem, named after the symbol for unconditional love, it is the most significant round brilliant internally flawless fancy intense pink diamond to be offered at auction since the “Martian Pink,” which sold at Christie’s Hong Kong in 2012 for $17.4 million, equating to $1.45 million per carat.

The diamond exhibits a pure pink hue, unlike many natural pink diamonds that typically display secondary hues such as purple, orange or gray. “The Eden Rose stands out for its complete absence of any secondary color, rendering it exceptionally rare,” Christie’s said in a statement.

Rahul Kadakia, Christie’s International head of Jewelry, said in a statement that he is “anticipating significant interest from around the world.”

Christie’s says the round brilliant cut is known for its ability to maximize light reflection and is considered the ideal cut for diamonds.

The Eden Rose is mounted on a ring further adorned with eight brilliant-cut diamonds, ranging in weight from 3.11 to 0.73 carats, and two marquise brilliant-cut diamonds of 2.24 and 1.02 carats.

Source: Forbes

Christie’s Jewels Online Sale Rakes In Nearly $14M

A Kashmir sapphire and diamond ring was the top seller at the most recent online jewelry sale at Christie’s, fetching $856,800, nearly double its high estimate.

The piece, which contains a cushion mixed-cut, 8.19-carat sapphire flanked by trapezoid-shaped diamonds, carried a presale price range of $300,000 to $500,000 at the March 11 to 21 Jewels Online auction, Christie’s said last week. It was offered without reserve. In total, the sale garnered $13.5 million, with 97% of items finding buyers.

Jewelry with sapphires and emeralds performed well, as did diamonds from iconic brands, including Harry Winston, Cartier and Bulgari.

Here are the rest of the top 10 pieces at the auction:

***A pear brilliant-cut, 17.09-carat, D-color, VVS2-clarity diamond ring by Harry Winston brought in $819,000, within its $700,000 to $1 million price range.***

***This Cartier necklace features a cushion brilliant-cut, 10.08-carat, D-color, VVS1-clarity diamond that is potentially internally flawless. The piece sold for $604,800, within its estimate.***

***Christie’s sold this pair of Bulgari earrings consisting of two round brilliant-cut, D-color, VVS2-clarity diamonds weighing 5.08 and 5.05 carats for $428,400, within its presale price range.***

A ring bearing a round brilliant-cut, 1.13-carat, fancy-blue, VS2-clarity diamond center stone with additional baguette-cut sapphires and diamonds fetched $403,200, surpassing its $250,000 high estimate.

This emerald-cut, 10.07-carat, G-color, VVS1-clarity diamond ring was offered without reserve. The jewel, which has the potential to be internally flawless, went for $378,000, above its $350,000 upper price tag.

***A ring bearing a rectangular emerald-cut, 22.97-carat Colombian emerald with diamond brackets garnered $315,000, more than five times its $60,000 high estimate.***

This necklace by Calvin French features rectangular and square emerald-cut emeralds weighing approximately 58 to 60 carats combined, and 29 round diamonds totaling about 36 to 38 carats. It sold for $277,200, just below its lower price.

***A Bulgari bracelet with 14 emeralds totaling about 25 carats and 14 diamonds weighing approximately 12.5 carats brought in $277,200, smashing its $150,000 high estimate.***

***An oval brilliant-cut, 10.01-carat, fancy-intense-yellow, VVS1-clarity diamond ring raked in $226,800, more than double its $100,000 upper price tag.***

Source: Rapaport

Christie’s Nixes Final Sale of Heidi Horten Jewels

Christie’s has canceled its fourth sale of jewelry belonging to Austrian billionaire Heidi Horten following controversy over her late husband’s connection to the Nazi party.

“Christie’s has taken the decision not to proceed with further sales of property from the estate of Heidi Horten,” Anthea Peers, president of Christie’s for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), told Rapaport News Sunday.

The auction house held three previous sales despite an outcry from parts of the industry. The first, which took place live in Geneva on May 8, included 96 items and brought in $155.6 million, a record for a single collection. Christie’s offered 152 lots on May 10, garnering $42.4 million, while an online sale between May 3 and 15 fetched $4.2 million. The final sale was to have featured 300 pieces.

Although Christie’s donated a “significant portion” of its commission to charity, the gesture did not satisfy many in the industry, who felt the company should not have hosted the sales. The opposition included the World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB), which wrote a letter to the auction house calling the sale “appalling” and asking for assurances that if Christie’s were to proceed, it would expect a major portion of the proceeds to go to Holocaust-related charities. However, many of those organizations, including the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial, refused the donations.

“The sale of the Heidi Horten jewelry collection has provoked intense scrutiny, and the reaction to it has deeply affected us and many others, and we will continue to reflect on it,” Peers added.

Source: Diamonds.net

$35M Pink Diamond Pulled from Christie’s Sale

A 13.15 carat pink diamond will no longer be available at the upcoming Christie’s Magnificent Jewels auction in New York.

The emerald-cut, fancy vivid pink, VVS1 clarity stone, which carried a price estimate of $25 million to $35 million, was poised to be the December 6 sale’s showcase piece. Christie’s described the diamond as one of the largest of its kind to appear at auction.

“Christie’s confirms that the fancy vivid pink diamond ring has been withdrawn from sale in New York on December 6,” a spokesperson said. The company declined to comment further or provide a reason.

The item was scheduled to appear on display in Hong Kong on Friday. The removal was “very surprising,” said one colored diamond dealer in the municipality.

Colored diamonds have had a mixed season at auction. On November 8, the 18.18-carat Fortune Pink fetched CHF 28.4 million ($28.9 million) at Christie’s Geneva, toward the lower end of its presale estimate. The following day, a 5.53 carat diamond from the De Beers Exceptional Blue Collection failed to find a buyer at a Sotheby’s auction in the Swiss city.

With the 13.15 carat pink off the list, the top remaining item at the Magnificent Jewels sale is a pear modified brilliant cut, 31.62 carat, fancy blue diamond pendant with a price estimate of $10 million to $15 million.

Source: Diamonds.net

41ct. Diamond Could Fetch Up to $5M at Christie’s

Christie’s will offer a 41.36-carat Graff diamond ring at its upcoming Geneva auction, predicting it could sell for up to CHF 5 million ($5 million).

The square emerald-cut, D-color, VVS1-clarity diamond, which is potentially internally flawless, is one of the top items set to go under the hammer at the November 8 Magnificent Jewels auction, Christie’s said last week.

Several other diamonds will also take center stage, including an unmounted modified shield brilliant-cut, 101.27-carat, F-color, VVS1-clarity diamond. That stone carries a high estimate of CHF 3.5 million ($3.5 million). A pair of Art Deco modified pear brilliant-cut diamond earrings by designer Henri Picq will also be up for sale. The set, featuring one 15.39-carat, D-color, VS1-clarity diamond and one 14.85-carat, D-color, VS2-clarity stone, has an upper price tag of CHF 2.5 million ($2.5 million).

Other notable items include a cushion brilliant-cut, 20.08-carat, F-color, flawless diamond ring, estimated at up to CHF 1.5 million ($1.5 million). A pear brilliant-cut, 14.19-carat, D-color, internally flawless diamond ring has a high price of CHF 1.2 million ($1.2 million).

Those stones will join the Fortune Pink, a pear-shaped, 18.18-carat, fancy-vivid-pink diamond. The gem, which Christie’s claims is the largest of its cut and color to be offered at auction, is expected to bring in up to CHF 35 million ($35.1 million). The sale will also showcase royal jewels from the Bourbon Parma family and from the Thurn and Taxis family.

Source: Diamonds.net

Christie’s to Auction $18M D-Flawless Diamond

Christie’s will offer a 103.49-carat diamond that could fetch up to $18 million at its upcoming New York sale.

The emerald-cut, D-Flawless, type IIa stone, called the Light of Africa diamond, will headline the auction house’s Magnificent Jewels sale on June 8, it said Monday. It will be among the items featured as part of Christie’s luxury week.

The diamond was cut from a 299.3-carat rough Petra Diamonds recovered from its Cullinan mine in South Africa in January 2021. Petra then sold the diamond to Dubai-based diamond-sourcing and supply company Stargems DMCC in March of that year for $12.18 million. It is the third-largest high-quality white diamond recovered from Cullinan since Petra acquired it in 2008, the miner noted.

Christie’s will preview the diamond in Geneva from May 6 to 11, followed by Hong Kong from May 22 to 24, before showing it in New York between June 3 and 7.

Source: Diamonds.net