Ninety-three percent of the high jewelry and precious stones lots sold. A pair of diamonds sold for $3.2 million.
Sotheby’s Geneva high jewelry auction concluded with excellent results, confirming the strong international interest in designer high jewelry and prestigious private collections. The auction totaled approximately $30 million, with 93% of the lots sold and record participation: over five registered bidders for each lot sold.
The evening symbolically opened with a refined Cartier brooch with rubies, emeralds, yellow sapphires, and diamonds, which sold for $62,000, more than three times its initial estimate. The extremely rare Cravate necklace by Lacloche Frères, with rubies and diamonds, closed the auction, selling for over $800,000. More than 60% of the lots surpassed their high estimate, while a further 32% comfortably surpassed their low estimate, thanks to bids from over 30 countries, led by the United States, Asia, and Europe.
A key aspect of the sale was Sotheby’s ability to showcase top-tier private collections. Among these, the collection of a prominent Italian collector, a lifelong jewelry enthusiast, stood out, alongside the Invernizzi family’s selection and that of a prominent European collector. One of the evening’s most admired pieces came from the latter: a vintage bracelet attributed to Van Cleef & Arpels from the 1920s, which sold for more than five times its high estimate.
Among the most sought-after jewels was a 1976 Bulgari Serpenti bracelet watch, considered one of the best-preserved examples ever to appear on the market, which sold for over $840,000. The auction also marked the return of the highest-quality white diamonds in style. The most valuable lot of the evening was a perfectly matched pair of loose diamonds weighing 18.38 carats each, graded Type IIa and color D, which sold for over $302 million. Originating from the Jwaneng mine in Botswana, the diamonds are part of an exclusive collaboration between Sotheby’s and De Beers dedicated to presenting exceptional gems considered true works of art.
Graff-designed diamonds and other high-clarity emerald-cut stones also performed better than expected, confirming the renewed strength of the white diamond market. Colored stones, however, dominated the scene. Rubies, in particular, ignited competition among collectors thanks to their intense color. Highlights included rings with Pigeon Blood rubies, Boucheron earrings from the 1960s, and a spectacular Van Cleef & Arpels creation with a ruby weighing over 6 carats.
Emeralds and sapphires also enjoyed extraordinary success. A magnificent necklace with Colombian emeralds and diamonds, from a royal collection, sold for nearly 2 million Swiss francs. In the sapphire segment, the celebrated Peacock of Ceylon, a sapphire weighing over 102 carats, shone, selling for more than 1.5 million francs.
Finally, the auction confirmed the growing interest in statement jewelry from the 1970s and 1980s by major fashion houses. Bulgari once again stood out with Monete necklaces, Celtaura bracelets, and Naturalia sets, which far surpassed their estimates, along with iconic creations by Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels.
