Jewelry Auctions

"Tomato-size" Forevermark stones up at Christie’s HK

This pair of 36-carat diamonds have been awarded “triple excellent” for their polish, symmetry and cut grade and will be available at Christie’s Hong Kong auction of Magnificent Jewels.
Oct 21, 2011

Hong Kong--Christie’s will host a sale of “Magnificent Jewels” on Nov. 29 here, offering more than 300 diamonds, gems and jadeite jewels expected to realize $75-$100 million.

“Set against a background of industry momentum and an ever-expanding community of jewelry collectors, the upcoming autumn sale of extraordinary jewels has been curated to fit connoisseurs’ desires and current market trends,” Vickie Sek, director of the jewellery and jadeite department at Christie’s Asia, said.

The highlight of the auction is a pair of unmounted 36-carat D color, flawless round brilliant-cut diamonds, each described as “roughly the size of a cherry tomato.” Uncovered in South Africa, the pair was exhibited at the Guggenheim in New York in Dec. 2010 and are also the largest pair of diamonds to bear Forevermark’s inscription. Offered separately, the diamonds are estimated to realize $7 million-$9 million each.

Another highlight of the sale will be a Harry Winston emerald and diamond brooch (below) estimated to realize $2 million-$3 million. The emerald brooch came to be when a prominent Texas oiler asked Mr. Winston for a significant gemstone, and the jeweler offered a choice: the 69-carat emerald or a nearly 70-carat diamond. The couple chose the emerald, and the diamond went on to be acquired by the late Elizabeth Taylor and become subsequently known as the Taylor-Burton Diamond.

A Harry Winston ruby and diamond fringe necklace (below) set with 32 untreated Burmese rubies and weighing more than 80 carats is estimated to realize $1.3 million-$1.9 million.

Christie’s saw strong sales and record prices the first half of 2011, according to the auction house, with global sales up 30 percent as compared to 2010.

“The strength of the jewelry market was clearly demonstrated in Hong Kong where, at $89.4 million, the spring sale became not only the most valuable jewelry auction in Asia, but also the largest ever at Christie’s worldwide,” the auction house said.

Natural pearl jewelry, jewels by Van Cleef & Arpels and an assortment of colored gems will also be included in the Magnificent Jewels sale.

 

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