Eternal charm of diamonds: the auction of Christie’s Jewels Online (held from 16 to 30 June) totaled 4.1 million dollars, with 100% sold by value, 93% sold by lot. And over 140% of sales were above the lowest starting estimate, while 64% above or above the highest estimate.
The king of the auction was, as expected, the 28.86 carat diamond, color D, estimated at 1-2 million dollars. This diamond marks a stage in the history of auctions, because it was the most valued lot ever offered in an online sale of Christie’s. After strong competition from 31 offers, from four countries ranging from Asia to America, the stone was sold for over 2.1 million, a new record for a jewel sold online.
The spectacular 28.86 carat D color diamond received immediate attention upon its announcement. The stone possesses a transparency and purity which can only be found in the world’s finest diamonds. The sale of this exceptional stone established the record for a jewel sold in an online-only auction, demonstrating greater client confidence in Christie’s digital ability and online sale platform. We now look forward to the beginning of our live auction season for jewelry spanning all major Christie’s global sale sites led by a US$8m Fancy Intense Blue IF Diamond of 12.11 carats offered in Hong Kong on July 9.
Rahul Kadakia, international chief of jewelry at Christie’s
For the coronavirus, online sales received a significant global participation with offerers represented by 27 countries and five continents. In addition, there has been an unprecedented amount of online involvement in a global spread of 134 countries with a 70% increase in daily visitors to the sales web page compared to that hosted in June 2019.
