A late 19th-century brooch took center stage at the jewelry auction.
An 18.695-carat Kashmir sapphire took center stage at Dorotheum. The brooch, adorned with the precious gem, sold for €779,000, the highest sale ever at the Vienna auction house. The piece was crafted around 1880 by the Viennese manufacturer Rozet & Fischmeister. The rare, intensely blue sapphire made the brooch a sensation, breaking several records: it is both the most valuable piece ever sold at Dorotheum and the most expensive piece ever sold at auction in Austria and Germany.
Bids rose rapidly on nearly all lots at the auction house: it was the best auction in the department’s history. Rare gemstones such as Colombian emeralds, Burmese rubies, Ceylon sapphires, and a 6,223-carat Kashmir sapphire ring (sold for €382,500), as well as top-quality diamonds, achieved excellent results. Creations from prestigious houses such as Tiffany & Co., Van Cleef & Arpels, Bulgari, and Cartier were also particularly sought-after.
