A desk clock with sapphires, diamonds and rubies by Van Cleef & Arpels, which was part of the personal collection of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis: it is the most valuable piece sold at the Christie’s auction in Paris. The jewel-watch was sold for 310,000 euros, almost eight times the estimate before the sale, and was the subject of a flurry of offers between five bidders. A Cartier diamond ring was sold for € 175,000 and a rare Chaumet Art Deco emerald and diamond bracelet was sold for € 92,500. In the Paris auction there was also a ring with sapphire and Verdura diamonds, sold for € 274,000 and a necklace of emeralds and diamonds by Van Cleef & Arpels, sold on Christie’s Live (online) for € 81,250, doubling his estimate presale.
We are excited about the great results achieved today. They show that collectors are still eager to buy beautiful jewelry, such as the Van Cleef & Arpels desk clock sold for 310,000 against a presale estimate of 40,000-80,000. This price once again demonstrates collectors’ appetite for large provenance since this watch came from Jackie Kennedy’s personal collection! We are also pleased to see international buyers from 30 countries. Of all the lots sold, 39% were purchased on the Internet and 43% on the phone. These statistics demonstrate Christie’s international reach and the importance of our digital progress.
Violaine d’Astorg and Mafalda Chenu, sales specialists
The auction totaled 4.6 million euros (5.2 million dollars), with 79% of the lots awarded for 85% of the value. Federico Graglia
