Many quality jewels, from famous brands: there are almost 400 lots that make up the Fine Jewels catalog of the Cambi Auction House. The sale is scheduled for Wednesday 17 May from 11.00 in the Milan office (via San Marco 22, Milan). In the first round of the auction (lots 1/98) period jewels are the protagonists: among the most interesting objects stand out a collection of corals from various periods and origins, a parure of shell cameos depicting famous Italian poets and classical divinities with original case (estimate: 6,000-8,000 euros), and a micromosaic bracelet with views of Rome (9,000-11,000).
In the second round (lots 99/402) contemporary jewels are on sale, such as the choker from the Serpenti collection by Bulgari (40,000-60,000), a bracelet with amethyst and diamonds by Michele della Valle (6,000-7,000), a convertible diamond sautoir in necklace and bracelets (30,000-40,000) and a bracelet from the Panthère collection by Cartier (10,000-15,000).
Among the top lots are a refined tiara in Colombian diamonds and emeralds (20,000-25,000), a ring with a Colombian emerald of approximately 10 carats (50,000-60,000), a brilliant-cut diamond of 3.48 carats (50,000-60,000), a ring with Kashmir sapphire (60,000-80,000) and a brilliant cut diamond of 13.39 carats (70,000-90,000).
The largest jewelry auction with the largest shadow in history. The case was raised by the New York Times and concerns the Heidi Horten jewelry auction organized by Christie’s.
The sale, scheduled for May 10 and 12 in Geneva, includes 700 exceptional jewels, including India’s exceptional Briolette, a 90-carat diamond valued at nearly $8 million. The problem that has emerged in recent days is the origin of the wealth of the German Horten family. Helmut Horten, Heidi’s husband, allegedly had close ties to the Third Reich.
Not only. He would have illicitly enriched himself by purchasing companies sold off at bargain prices by Jewish owners, forced to sell under threats. Heidi Horten, who died last year, was married at 19 to Helmut Horten, 30 years her senior. In the 1980s, Heidi inherited almost 1 billion dollars, also spent on collecting magnificent jewels. The expected proceeds from the Christie’s auction are estimated at over 150 million dollars. the record of 137 million established by the sale of Liz Taylor’s jewels in 2011 would be broken. The proceeds from the auction are destined for charity, in particular to a foundation in Vaduz in Switzerland which owns a museum in the heart of old Vienna, as well as to philanthropic initiatives in the medical field. But that hasn’t stopped the controversy.
The secret story
The problems are in the family history. Christie’s itself has admitted that Helmut Horten built his wealth by buying companies of Jews forced to sell by Hitler’s regime. Stephanie Stephan, daughter of a Jewish businessman on the board of an Amsterdam company that was Horten’s target during the Nazis, think philanthropic efforts aren’t reason enough to push through a sale based on these disputes origins of the family fortune. Stephan, a Munich-based journalist, cites the sworn statement of a colleague of his father, according to which Horten had threatened to deport the Jewish owners to concentration camps if they resisted the takeover.
According to David de Jong, author of a book on German billionaires, Horten also laid the foundations for his wealth during the Third Reich by buying at a discount from Jews who were forced to sell out. For example, the Alsberg department store in Duisburg, bought for not even 65% of their real value. At the time Horten described the purchase in a Nazi Party magazine stating that the shop had passed into Aryan hands.
Before she died, however, Heidi Horten had hired a scholar to investigate the family fortune. Research has confirmed that her husband benefited from buying Jewish businesses, but that the level of wealth achieved in this way should not be overstated. Christie’s, to fend off criticism, has pledged to turn over part of the proceeds to Holocaust research and education.
Bulgari Laguna Blu, record diamond at Sotheby’s
The Blue Lagoon is the title of a 1980 film which marked the debut of Brooke Shields. About forty years later the same name returns to the fore: but this time Laguna Blu is the name of the largest blue diamond in a Bulgari jewel, 11.16 carats, auctioned by Sotheby’s. According to the auction house, it will have its world premiere at the Met Gala in New York on May 1, before being displayed and sold at Sotheby’s Geneva Luxury Week from May 12. Estimated price: more than 25 million dollars. The gemstone was created in 1970 and has remained in the same collection ever since, in Europe. It is the first time it has been offered for sale.
The Bulgari Laguna Blu is an extraordinary jewel in every respect. At 11.16 carats, this unmodified pear-shaped blue diamond received the highest grade for a blue diamond from the Gemological Institute of America, recognizing its mesmerizing color and hue. This true marvel of nature was selected by Bulgari, the prestigious Roman jewelery Maison, over fifty years ago, to create a ring for a demanding private collector, who has kept it ever since. The Bulgari Laguna Blu diamond is destined to become every collector’s dream object and we are delighted that it will be presented for the first time on the ever-anticipated red carpet of the Met Gala.
Olivier Wagner, Head of Jewellery, Sotheby’s Geneva
With the blue diamond Sotheby’s completes a trilogy of announcements for the sale of unique and extraordinary colored gemstones following the recent presentation of the Eternal Pink (estimate over 35 million), the most valuable purplish-pink diamond ever to appear at auction, and the Estrella de Fura 55.22 (estimate over 30 million), the largest ruby ever to hit the market, which will be the protagonists of the Magnificent Jewels auction at Sotheby’s in New York on June 8th.
One of the gem’s pluses is its weight of 11.16 carats, exceptional given that blue diamonds are among the rarest. The blue color is the result of the presence of the trace element boron within the carbon structure of the diamond during its formation deep in the earth’s core. Blue diamonds over 5 carats are rare, those over 10 carats even rarer. Any blue diamond qualified as Fancy Vivid, the most brilliant hue a diamond can display, over 10 carats is indeed extremely rare: Fewer than ten Fancy Vivid Blue diamonds over 10 carats have been auctioned anywhere in the world in the last few decades. , four of the sold by Sotheby’s.
Bulgari has mounted the Bulgari Laguna Blu in an elegant and essential ring, exposing all facets of the stone to their best vantage point, demonstrating the jeweler’s ability to maximize the intrinsic beauty of an exceptional diamond. The jewel has remained in the same family since its acquisition in the seventies. It has been seen by few. In the fifty years since the Blue Lagoon was faceted, diamond-cutting technology has advanced to further enhance colored diamonds by faceting them as modified brilliant cuts to increase the perceived saturation of the color. So this 1970 diamond could be even more brilliant.
In addition to the Bulgari Laguna Blu, the same client is offering for sale two other white diamonds signed Bulgari, from the same period in the early 1970s: a pear-shaped diamond weighing 12.08 carats (estimate 600,000-700,000 dollars), and a diamond step cut weighing 18.78 carats (estimate 900,000-1,400,000). Also on sale is a fourth stone signed Pederzani, a pear-shaped white diamond weighing 8.33 carats (estimate 350,000-500,000).
Sotheby’s currently sells the record price for a blue diamond for the De Beers Blue, a 15.10 step cut Fancy Vivid Blue diamond, the largest of its kind ever to appear at auction, sold in April 2022, Sotheby’s of Hong Kong for 57.5 million dollars.
Up for auction at Christie’s 25 creations by Jar
The Jewels of a Legend, Jar: born in New York City in 1943, Joel Arthur Rosenthal graduated from Harvard with degrees in art history and philosophy before moving to Paris. And become a jewel artist. And Christie’s Magnificent Jewels auction scheduled in Geneva on May 17 will offer the largest collection of Jar jewels ever to be auctioned. After working with Bulgari in New York, Jar returned to Paris, opening her own jewelry store with his partner, Pierre Jeannet, in 1977.
Jar produces at 7 Place Vendôme, Paris, only about 70 pieces a year, highly sought after by collectors, movie stars and lovers of original jewellery. Christie’s is offering 25 Jar creations, which will become the American designer’s largest collection ever to appear at auction, with pieces spanning 40 years of creativity. The collection has been built up over the last 15 years by a leading art and jewelery collector, who encountered Jar’s art twenty years ago during the major exhibition The Jewels of Jar, Paris which took place in London between 2002 and 2003 at Somerset House. Five years later the collector was able to acquire a first piece of jewelery from the master jeweler and after 15 years of collecting he decided to sell.
Joel Arthur Rosenthal pairs unusual gemstones with nontraditional materials. The quality of his work is reminiscent of 18th and 19th century jewelry. In 2013, Jar was the first living gem artist to be honored with a retrospective at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Among the pieces on sale is a camellia brooch, which has become a signature design of Jar and embodies the extraordinary attention to detail, which pushes the boundaries between jewelery and sculpture, Also on sale are 15 pairs of earrings, including a third it is also inspired by nature, such as a pair of Geranium earrings in carved nephrite jade and diamonds or the iconic and delicate diamond ivy leaves earrings designed in 1991.
The large collections that belonged to wealthy owners, now disappeared, are one of the sources of jewelry auctions. Like the one scheduled for 10 and 12 May in Geneva under the banner of Christie’s. For sale is jewelry that belonged to Heidi Horten (1941-2022). Austrian billionaire and art collector, Heidi Horten was the wife (32 years younger) of Helmut Horten, founding founder of the German department store company of the same name. In May 2020, Forbes estimated her net worth at $3.0 billion. No wonder art and jewelery were Mrs. Horten’s passions.
Witness the pre-sale estimate of the collection: over 150 million. It is the largest and most valuable collection ever to be auctioned. Proceeds will help finance the Heidi Horten Estate foundation, established in 2020 to support the museum of modern and contemporary art she founded in Vienna, The Heidi Horten Collection, as well as medical research and other philanthropic endeavors.
The World of Heidi Horten is the collection of a lifetime. From Bulgari to Van Cleef & Arpels, from a small personal keepsake to the Briolette of India, this is a collector’s dream. Building on extraordinary early pieces she acquired in the 1970s and 1980s, Ms. Horten has continued to grow and curate her sophisticated collection, eloquently combining vintage and modern designs from the world’s leading jewelery houses that today represent some of the finest examples never to come to the market.
Rahul Kadakia, International Head of Jewelery at Christie
But let’s talk about the jewels. The most valuable pieces reported by Christie’s include Harry Winston’s 90-carat diamond Briolette of India necklace, originally sold by Cartier in 1909, a three-strand natural pearl necklace, also by Harry Winston, highlighted by a pink diamond clasp in the shape of a cushion of 11 carats (estimate 7-10 million dollars). Another top piece is the 25-carat Sunrise Ruby and Diamond ring by Cartier, pigeon’s blood color and exceptionally pure (estimate 15-20 million dollars). Also by the American jeweler are an exceptional diamond bracelet (estimate 5-7 million dollars) and The Great Mughal Emerald Pendant Necklace, again by Harry Winston (estimate 500,000-700,000 dollars).
Also noteworthy is a very important selection of Bulgari creations from the 1970s to today, which retraces more than fifty years of craftsmanship of the Italian Maison.
This is a historic moment for Christie’s, for the privilege of offering one of the world’s finest and most important jewelry collections from Europe. Furthermore, witnessing a philanthropic effort of this magnitude is as rare as it is extraordinary. Today, with the establishment of the Heidi Horten Foundation, the late Ms. Horten has created an important framework to ensure the functioning of her museum for decades to come, ensuring the enjoyment of the arts for aficionados around the world.
Anthea Peers, President Christie’s EMEA
Christie’s will present 400 of the 700 jewels in two live auctions at the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues in Geneva during Luxury Week this spring, as well as an online sale in May, followed by another online sale in November 2023. Part 1 of the The auction series will begin on Wednesday, May 10, followed by a live auction of Part II on Friday, May 12, 2023. The first online sale will open on May 3, running through May 15, followed by a second online sale in November offering the remaining jewels of the collection.
How to choose a sapphire ring
How and why to choose a sapphire ring? Useful tips for buying a ring (but also a necklace, bracelet earrings) with sapphire ♦ ︎
The blue color is beautiful: it is that of the sea, of the clear sky, and also of the most precious sapphire. But you probably know that sapphires are a stone that is found in other colors, such as yellow, pink, purple. But how to choose a sapphire ring? And how much is a sapphire worth? If you are not an expert there are some aspects that you can take into account before buying a sapphire ring (but the same goes for a necklace, earrings or bracelet). Here are some useful tips, which can help you make the right decision if you want to buy sapphire jewelry.
1 Check the provenance. Knowing where a stone comes from is essential. For example, for sapphires, the origin of the stones is particularly important. Sapphire is extracted in many parts of the world, but not all stones are the same: there are the very rare sapphires from Kashmir, or from Burma (Myanmar) or mined in Sri Lanka. They have different prices. For example, the mines of Kashmir (India) have been exhausted for a century and, therefore, sapphires with that origin are very rare and very expensive. They are also generally considered to be of a superior quality: their color is particularly intense, saturated, with a velvety light that seems to come from within. Burmese sapphires are also similar, but have more glassy, transparent, clear reflections, with a vivid color. Finally, Sri Lankan sapphires are very bright, with an almost liquid reflection with purple points. They also often have a particular crystalline texture that gives a different color intensity when turning the stone in front of a light. Sapphires from Sri Lanka look fresher and more modern than those from Burma or Kashmir. But sapphires are also mined in Thailand or Vietnam, or in Africa, for example in Tanzania, Kenya, Nigeria, Madagascar and even in Montana (United States).
2 Warm or unheated. In most cases, sapphires (as well as many other stones) have been heated to make the color more vivid and the gems more transparent. It has been a practice that has lasted for centuries, so don’t be scandalized. If a stone has not been heated and boasts an intense color, however, it is also of greater value. And if a sapphire is not natural and has not been heated, it is usually a quality that is underlined (and charged for) at the time of sale. Normally the stones are always accompanied by the certificate of a gemological institute. Warning: heating the sapphire is not the only way to make the stone better and more salable. Another system consists in filling the micro invoices with synthetic material with the addition of dyes. In this case, however, the stones can be damaged by an acidic substance, for example during cleaning, for example a soap or lemon juice. Therefore, before buying a sapphire, always ask if it has been treated and with what method.
3 What color. Sapphires are not all blue, the most prized color. There are also yellow, orange, red, purple, green and pink sapphires (one particular particularly fine variety is called padparadscha) and there are even colorless gems like diamonds. In general, however, the value of the stones depends a lot on the intensity of the color. The more the color is intense without compromising the brightness, the more the stone is precious.
4 Beware of defects. If you buy a sapphire ring and the stone is of a certain size it will be easier to check if there are any inclusions inside (and usually very likely to be). The inclusions can be, for example, clear filaments of rutile, which make a stone less precious. Not only that: in some cases these inclusions can threaten the solidity of the stone. If the inclusions are very visible, the price of a sapphire can drop substantially. With one exception: if the inclusions form a kind of star reflected on the surface, a fairly rare phenomenon, in that case the sapphire has a higher value.
5 Make a comparison. Even if a sapphire ring looks beautiful to you, ask to compare it in the light with other jewels. Your jeweler certainly has other sapphire jewels available and a comparison between different stones will make you discover, for example, if the color of your stone is more or less intense. Furthermore, as with diamonds, the quality of the cut matters a lot: usually for sapphires a round or oval cut is preferred. Large stones are also offered with a sugar loaf shape.
6 Look at the cut. One of the aspects that can enhance or depress the value of a gem is the cut. A good cut can make a big difference, giving more brilliance to the stone and reflecting the light evenly over the entire gem. Badly cut sapphires also have a lower value. How do you know if a stone is cut well? In fact I am an expert gemologist can immediately see the defects and identify the technical cause of a failed cut. But if you expose the stone to light and compare it to similar ones, you may notice differences in the reflections: choose the brightest.
Diamonds and jewels up for auction with Bolaffi
About 500 lots with jewels from the nineteenth century to the present day and very diversified auction bases. This is what is included in the catalog of the spring auction of jewelery by Aste Bolaffi on March 28, scheduled in Milan, at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel (via Andegari 9), while on March 29 it will be in live internet mode on the Aste Bolaffi. www.astebolaffi The sale is preceded by the exhibition open to the public from Friday 24 March until the day of the auction (Sunday excluded) at the Bolaffi headquarters (via Manzoni 7).
The selection of diamonds includes the top lots of the sale, including an unmounted 9-carat diamond, F color, VVS2 clarity, accompanied by a Gia certificate (lot 298, starting price 260,000 euros) and a diamond necklace of 36 total carats of exceptional color and purity (lot 297, base 65,000 euros). Also in the catalog are Tiffany, Bulgari, Cartier and Pomellato jewels and an interesting collection by Orisa Torino from the 1940s to the 1960s.
A new online jewelry auction is scheduled for February 9 at Sotheby’s. The auction includes 276 pieces, mostly made by famous Maisons, such as Cartier, Van cleef & Arpels, Boucheron, Tiffany. But the sale also presents an unprecedented opportunity for those who love Sixties and Seventies design. In the catalog, in fact, there are also about ten jewels by Andrew Grima. It is a single owner collection which is now being offered for sale and which features jewelery by the Italian-British designer.
Grima, born in Rome, developed his business in London and is considered a jewelery revolutionary. Probably also because his training was far from gold and diamonds: Grima studied mechanical engineering in London and was part of the Royal Engineers during the Second World War. A strange coincidence then led him to deal with accounting in the jewelery company of his wife’s father and, from there, to the design department. The imagination and innovative solutions in the creation of jewels made him famous and appreciated by the royal family, as well as by celebrities of the time. He has been considered the progenitor of modern jewelry, no longer anchored to the traditional style. A path that is testified by the jewels on sale, pieces that remain extraordinarily avant-garde even after half a century.
Kim Kardashian buys the cross worn by Diana
It seems like news made to warm the hearts of those who follow social media: the Atallah Cross, worn by Princess Diana, was sold for $197,453 to Kim Kardashian. The American celebrity, through a representative of hers, outbid four other buyers during Sotheby’s Royal and Noble sale. The jewel’s price represents more than double its pre-auction estimate. The cross, as we have already told here, was owned by the former CEO of the Asprey & Garrard group, Naim Attallah.
The Atallah cross features floral details and was created in the 1920s by the court jewelers Garrard. The cross was purchased in the 1980s by Naim Atallah and thanks to his friendship with Princess Diana, he was able to lend it to her several times over the course of several years. Princess Diana wore the jewel several times, as evidenced by the October 1987 photo, on the occasion of a charity gala in support of Birthright, a charity that works to protect human rights during pregnancy and childbirth. After her death the jewel was never seen in public again.
The cross pendant is a bold and colorful piece featuring square cut amethysts and accented with round cut diamonds. The cross has a total diamond weight of approximately 5.25 carats and measures approximately 136mm x 95mm. Princess Diana had a long-standing relationship with Garrard, having chosen her engagement ring from them in 1981.
An octagonal emerald likes Paris
Time to take stock of the world of auction sales. Christie’s Paris Joaillerie’s online jewelry sale totaled 7,860,006, averaging pre-auction estimates, which included 286 lots. Bidders from 40 countries won 42% of the jewels offered above the maximum estimate. The auction featured a selection of vintage pieces by, among others, Belperron, Boivin, Boucheron, Bulgari, Cartier, Chaumet, Jar, Van Cleef & Arpels, as well as contemporary designers.
The sale also included jewels from collections of private collectors, with a special focus on Art Deco jewels by Cartier, retro jewels by Van Cleef and Arpels and Lacloche, pieces by Suzanne Belperron and René Boivin and a selection of jewels by René Lalique. The top lot proved to be a necklace with a pendant that can also be worn as a brooch with a 12.284-carat octagonal-cut Colombian emerald and old-cut diamonds: it was sold for 604,800 euros, against a maximum pre-sale estimate of 250,000 euros.
A diamond king of Christie’s online jewels
Among the results of the pre-Christmas jewelry auctions is added that of Christie’s Jewels Online, which followed that of the Magnificent Jewels in New York. The online jewelry auction was part of Christie’s Luxury Week, which also included other kinds of objects. Result: The sale totaled $6.8 million, with 125% of the hammer hammered above the low estimate and 98% sold per lot. The sale, Christie’s notes, received global participation with bidders from 31 countries.
Excellent results were achieved for diamonds and colored stones, including the top lot of the sale, an unmounted diamond of 50.06 carats, which fetched $2.5 million. Other notable findings include a Bulgari diamond Serpenti bracelet that sold for $88,200, a 5.17-carat diamond ring that found a buyer for $81,900, and a Cartier Panthère ring with pink sapphire and diamonds. , which reached $69,300.
The blue diamond illuminates Christie’s
Nearly $60 million in jewelry. This is what Christie’s auction of Magnificent Jewels in New York totaled. To be precise, total sales are $58.8 million, with 93% sold per lot and 105% sold above the low estimate. The top lot was a 31.62-carat fancy blue diamond, the largest ever to appear at auction, which sold for $11.8 million. In short, diamonds as an investment are always interesting. Other pieces that earned a six-figure rating include an 86.64-carat diamond pendant necklace that sold for $5.7 million and a 107.46-carat large fancy yellow diamond brooch by Graff that sold for 2.6 million, while an important diamond ring of 51.60 carats was purchased for 2.5 million by the prince of dealers William Goldberg.
Other results highlighted by Christie’s: an Art Deco sapphire and diamond pendant sold for 1.4 million, almost ten times its lowest estimate, a pair of heart-shaped colored diamond earrings fetched 1.4 million, more than five times their lowest estimate. Also successfully sold were a Bouquet brooch by Van Cleef & Arpels, which belonged to Evita Perón, sold for $195,300, and a Flower Brooch by the same Parisian ruby and emerald Maison, which fetched 1.2 million.
A single diamond not mounted on a ring was the top lot of the sale organized by Faraone Casa d’Aste in Milan. Jewellery, together with watches and luxury goods, totaled a total of 1.2 million euros, approximately 105% of the estimated value. A positive balance, therefore, which added to that of the auction held in May, marks +35% compared to the result of the two auctions in 2021. The protagonist was a 3.41-carat diamond, estimated at 30,000 euros and awarded for 50,000. A pair of brooches with sapphires and diamonds also stands out, sold for 13,000 euros, but with an estimate of 5,000. A solitaire ring in white gold, with a 3.12-carat round brilliant-cut diamond was auctioned for 26,000 against the 18,000 estimate, and a brooch in 9-carat rose gold, but with an octagonal emerald of 12.20 carats, arrived at 12,000 euros against the starting 1,500.
Also sold well were a platinum ring with a minor oil Colombian emerald weighing 3.60 carats, surrounded by diamonds (24,000), and a double-strand choker with natural saltwater pearls (27,000), a rigid yellow gold bracelet and white and diamonds (20,000) and a platinum ring signed Sabbadini with a cushion diamond of 8.45 carats, is sold for a value of 78,000 against the 50,000.00 estimate. Finally, a Cartier Chimere Open Bangle in yellow gold that started at 8,000 euros reached 77,000.
The jewels of the pre-Christmas auction organized by the Il Ponte auction house in Milan appeared particularly brilliant for those who concluded the purchase. Starting from the top lot, a rivière necklace in white gold and diamonds for 45.50 carats, which sold for 118,750 euros. Overall, the auction totaled 3 million euros, a figure which corresponds to 107% of the maximum estimates, for 86% of lots sold. In addition to the diamond necklace, the Villa brooch for 25.50 carats (112,500 euros) and an Art Nouveau ring with a navette diamond of 9.15 carats (106,250) achieved good success.
Other auction results include a solitaire diamond ring weighing 8.128 carats (62,500) and a fancy intense yellow diamond weighing 8.73 carats (56,250), a platinum ring with a solitaire diamond weighing 8.091 carats (50,000) , a white gold bracelet with three rows of graduated round diamonds totaling 30 carats (35,000) and a white gold ring with an octagonal emerald weighing 3.15 carats (21,250).
Many jewels of established Maisons at auction, such as Pomellato, Buccellati, Vhernier, Gucci, Micheletto and Bulgari. The latter saw the yellow gold groumette link necklace sold for 27,500 euros and a tubogas choker (27,500). By Van Cleef & Arpels the earrings in white gold, with diamonds and natural pearls (30,000).
Online jewels between Panthère and Serpenti
Online jewelry auctions have become a real revolution for fans of the genre. In fact, they allow you to be present virtually from all over the world, and this will also be the case for the new online auction at Christie’s. The Jewels Online are on sale until December 8, with a selection that includes jewels of various kinds, from ancient to contemporary, as well as diamonds and colored stones. The catalog includes jewels from Maisons and designers such as Belperron, Boucheron, Buccellati, Bulgari, Cartier, David Webb, Harry Winston, Hermès, Oscar Heyman & Brothers, Raymond Yard, Taffin, Tiffany & Co., Van Cleef & Arpels and Verdura.
Over half of the sale is offered without reserve and will be on display during Christie’s Luxury Week at the Rockefeller Center galleries in New York City December 2-5. The highest expectations are for an unmounted D-color diamond weighing a hefty 50.06 carats (estimate $2-4 million). Among the jewels are a Panthère ring by Cartier with colored sapphires, multiple gems and diamonds (estimate 40,000-60,000), and the Taj Mahal earrings with diamonds (20,000-30,000) by the same Maison. Another collector’s item is a Serpenti bracelet with Bulgari diamonds (40,000-60,000). The sale also features pieces from private collections, including those of Susan Lasker Brody, the David and Laura Finn Collection, owned by Virginia Kraft-Payson and Bourne Strassburger.
How to participate in an online auction
Do you know how to participate in an online jewelry auction? Here’s what you need to know to shop at an online auction ♦
There are diamonds sold at auction at stratospheric figures. But they are exceptions: in reality, at jewelry auctions there are also relatively affordable pieces, excellent jewels, even of major brands in the order of a few thousand euros or dollars. Of course, most of the big auctions take place in London, Geneva or New York, not to mention Hong Kong. But for this very reason many auction houses now also offer online auctions, as they do, for example Christie’s or Sotheby’s, with very interesting pieces. The images relate to a selection of the highest estimates. For example, you can find Art Deco jewels for sale, modern and vintage pieces, but also from large Maison as David Webb, Bulgari, Chanel, Van Cleef & Arpels … And often the prices are interesting.
But how do you participate in an auction? Here are the rules
First of all, you need to register on the site where the auction takes place. You will get a username and password. All simple, just fill out the form on the site. After obtaining an account, you must register for the auction.
Before making an offer from your computer or tablet, read well the conditions of sale, to avoid surprises. In fact, every offer that is made has the value of a binding contract for the purchase at the predetermined sales conditions.
Attention: it is not possible to cancel the offer once it has been presented. However, you can change the maximum bid.
On the auction site you will find the images, descriptions and estimated value of the pieces for sale. There is a minimum and a maximum, but it can be exceeded if many potential buyers raise their offer. You can submit an initial offer or a maximum bid. If two equivalent maximum bids have been submitted, the first one will prevail in chronological order.
You can decide in which currency to participate: just click on a small curtain corresponding to the symbol or symbol of the coin and choose, usually euros or dollars, but if it takes place in Geneva or China, even Swiss francs or Hong Kong dollars.
Offers can be submitted at any time during the online auction: therefore, it is not necessary to follow the times of an auctioneer.
When the auction has ended, an email will be sent to inform you if your bid has been successful.
Price: in an auction, even online ones, you need to take into account many factors besides the auction price. For example, you must also add the premium to the buyer (it is an additional percentage cost on the hammer price). In addition, taxes must be added (VAT or equivalent, import tax, customs duties and any local customs clearance fees applicable for your country), shipping costs, insurance coverage for any damage or loss (1% of the purchase price ). The buyer’s premium is usually 25% of the auction price of each lot up to $ 100,000. Payment must be made online by credit card and will be in the currency of the place of sale.
Now you are ready, good auction.
Blue diamonds and Evita’s jewels at Christie’s
It’s not just the 13.15-carat pink diamond estimated at up to $35 million at Christie’s Magnificent Jewels auction at Rockefeller Center on Dec. 6. Together with the ring with the diamond, the auction house will offer jewels signed by Bulgari, Cartier, Tiffany & Co., Van Cleef & Arpels and other Maisons. In addition to the aforementioned pink diamond, the largest fancy blue diamond ever to appear at auction, weighing 31.62 carats, set in a pendant surrounded by diamonds, will also be on sale. The diamond is estimated at between 10 and 15 million dollars. Another top jewel is the diamond necklace with an exceptional 86.64 carat (estimated 5-7 million) D-color pear-cut diamond as a pendant. The 1948 Cartier-mounted diamond Palm-Tree brooch (estimate 500,000-700,000) also stands out. The brooch was part of Margaret Thompson Biddle’s collection and features a 13.30-carat circular brilliant-cut diamond.
Also among the magnificent jewels are a 2.21 carat (1,200,000-1,800,000) fancy deep blue brilliant cut oval colored diamond ring, a Diamond Torque bangle, set with an internally flawless heart-shaped diamond D color of 50.05 carats (3,700,000-4,500,000), and The De Beers Yellow, an exceptional Fancy Vivid Yellow, Internally Flawless emerald-cut diamond of 13.75 carats (1,100,000–1,800,000).
Alongside these six-figure pieces, the auction includes a selection of iconic jewels by Van Cleef and Arpels. An exceptional lot is the Bouquet brooch with retro sapphire, colored sapphire and ruby which was part of the collection of Argentine first lady Evita Perón (60,000-80,000). The use of materials and the overall scale of the brooch is an homage to the retro period. Since it was purchased at an auction from Evita’s personal collection in 1957, it has remained in private hands and has never been worn. Additional Van Cleef & Arpels highlights include the Hawaii Jewelery Suite with Rubies, Sapphires and Diamonds (100,000-150,000) and two examples of the house’s iconic setting technique, the Mystery-Set Flower Brooch with Rubies and Emeralds (400,000 -600,000) and Mystery-Set flower earrings with rubies and diamonds (120,000-180,000). Finally, noteworthy is the Panthère de Cartier bracelet with aquamarine, diamonds and multiple gems, set with a 71.45-carat (200,000-400,000 carat) cabochon aquamarine.
The sale will be on view in New York from December 2-5.
Boucheron rises tenfold at Cambi’s auction
It is not often that a jewel is bought ten times the starting price at an auction. It happened with the bracelet with carrè and brilliant cut diamonds, black enamel, emeralds, rubies and cabochon-cut sapphires signed Boucheron Paris, put up for sale by the Milanese auction house Cambi. The jewel started with an estimate of 35,000 – 45,000 euros, but was sold for 496,000 euros, over the phone, by a buyer from the United States. A sign that at auctions you can find jewels at prices which, at least according to the buyer, are quite undervalued compared to the real value.
Cambi Casa d’Aste concluded three days of auctions which included jewels, coins and wines, divided into six rounds. Total sales amounted to 2,830,000 euros. The Fine Jewels auction, in particular, recorded a turnover of 2,122,000 euros, with 115% of sales by value. Among the other jewels that went to auction, it is worth mentioning the emerald-cut diamond of 4.06 carats, sold for 77,500 euros (from an estimate of 45,000-55,000) and the emerald-cut diamond of 6.21 carats sold for 112,500 euros (estimate 50,000-70,000). Success also for the Numismatics department directed by Paolo Crippa, which totaled 225% sold by value with 90% of lots awarded. The top lot is the gold medal for the 1878 coronation of Umberto I, sold for 39,000 euros.
A lot of jewels at the Auction House il Ponte
In view of Christmas 2022, the Milanese auction house il Ponte has done things big: the sale of jewels, divided into three rounds over two days (1-2 December) has 514 pieces parade in front of the auctioneer’s hammer. In short, the proposal is very varied and aims to embrace different tastes, aspirations and, of course, also different wallets. The auction includes pieces by Maisons of international standing, from Bulgari to Van Cleef & Arpels, from Cartier to Boucheron, but also jewels signed by the best Italian jewelery companies, such as Palmiero, Villa, Pomellato, Buccellati, Bulgari, Vhernier, Gucci and Micheletto, to name a few.
There are also gems, which in times of geopolitical and economic uncertainty always find admirers in terms of safe havens. In the particularly dense list of the tops identified by the auction house, there is a Bulgari brooch with three diamonds, one is orange and pink (estimate 300,000-350,000 euros) and a ring with an intense yellow diamond of 8.73 carats (estimate 48,000- 58,000 euros). Among the unmounted gems, a fancy vivid yellow diamond of 1.96 carats (estimate 15,000-25,000 euros) and a Kashmir sapphire of 6.764 carats (estimate 90,000-140,000 euros) stand out. Those who love emeralds may be interested in a Cartier ring with a Colombian gem of 4.377 carats (estimate 25,000-35,000 euros) and another ring with a rare Afghan of 6.50 arati (estimate 22,000-28,000). Also for gem enthusiasts, a ring with diamonds and a Burmese ruby weighing 4.37 carats is offered with an estimate of 18,000-25,000 euros.
For collectors of period jewels, we note the Art Nouveau setting of a ring with navette diamond weighing 9.15 carats (estimate 58,000-75,000), a ribbon brooch with round and tapered diamonds for a total of 29 carats (22,000 – 28,000), the ring signed Villa with a cushion diamond weighing 6.04 carats (estimate 40,000-55,000), the pendant brooch with 17 diamonds for a total of 25.50 carats (estimate 55,000-65,000) and the diamond necklace 45.50 carats (55,000–65,000).
For the great French Maisons, by Van Cleef & Arpels are the Cosmos flower earrings with diamonds for 4.60 carats (12,000-18,000), by Cartier is a rare brooch in the shape of a bow and old mine diamonds signed and made around 1890 (8,000-12,000), by René Boivin a Sablier collier in yellow gold (22,000-28,000) and by Boucheron with a demi parure. Do not miss the artist’s jewel, with six chains from Salvador Dalì’s Genesis collection (6,000 – 22,000).
A new record pink is coming from Christie’s
Year 2022 is the year of pink. Christie’s, in fact, is offering a new pink diamond at auction which, according to estimates, could be sold for up to 35 million dollars, with a minimum estimate of 25 million. The diamond is considered one of the finest fancy vivid pink emerald-cut diamonds ever offered at auction and will be part of the Magnificent Jewels sale December 6 at Rockefeller Center in New York during Luxury Week.
The Fancy Vivid Pink Diamond is prong set in a ring and has impressive VVS1 clarity, weighing 13.15 carats. A pink diamond of this size and quality is rare. In the fancy vivid pink range, a diamond over 6 carats is rarely encountered and less than 10% of pink diamonds weigh more than a fifth of a carat. The Fancy Vivid Pink Diamond is therefore considered one of the most important colored diamonds to appear on the market. The Winston Pink Legacy (18.936 carats) surpassed 50 million in 2018 and set a world record price per carat for a pink diamond sold at auction.
Following the success of The Fortune Pink which fetched nearly $30 million in Geneva, we are proud to have been approached by a private collector to offer this incredible diamond for auction in December. This season has seen outstanding results for fancy color diamonds and this particular vivid fancy pink is top notch. With impressive saturation, stepped facets, and potentially flawless clarity internally, this 13.15-carat fancy vivid pink is beautifully rare.
Rahul Kadakia, International Head of Christie’s Jewellery
The Fancy Vivid Pink Diamond will be exhibited in New York from November 14th to November 15th, in Hong Kong from November 25th to November 28th and presented in New York from December 2nd to December 5th.
TOP VIVID PINK DIAMONDS OFFERED BY CHRISTIE’S
The Winston Pink Legacy
18.96 carat fancy vivid pink cut corner rectangular cut diamond
US$50,375,000 / Price per carat: US$2,650,000
The Pink Promise
Oval-shaped bright pink fancy diamond of 14.93 carats
US$ 32,163,932 / Price per carat: US$ 2,150,000
The Fortune Pink
Pear-shaped vivid pink fantasy of 18.18 carats
US$ 28,816,336 / Price per carat: US$ 1,585,056